Heartstrength
by Vamirii
Summary: Goku nvr went to earth but years later 16 yr-old Bulma is taken to Plt Vegeta. She slowly works her way up the social ladder to a semblance of success. Doesn't start out like it but this is a romance with B/V and G/CC pairings. *maybe* lemon later...
1. Chapter 1

Vamirii: Hey everyone! So, a really good friend of mine got me into the best anime in the world, Dragon Ball Z, and for the past two months, my obsessive compulsive mind has been on a Vegeta+Bulma high. I've got like four other B/V fics on the brain that I'm kinda in the process of writing. I usually don't read Alternate Universe fanfics, but I was really interested in some, like "Eternal Triangle," and "Cold Comfort for Bulma," so I decided to write my own! ^^ Thing is, though, I don't know how good it is (I mean, _I _like it, but that's because it's my fanfic) so I need to know if you guys like it, so I know whenther to continue or to stop hogging the space reserved for better fanfics. Even a short review is welcome, but PLEASE NO FLAMES! I don't think my heart could take it! Of course critical advise is indeed encouraged, please be nice? I'm still relativly new to this. OK! On with the show!

* * *

Bulma curled herself up against the wall of the spaceship. The bodies of the other women, huddled up together in a sobbing mass and trying to keep warm littered the small cramped cargo room. She was just like her fellow "lucky" survivors, heart-broken, alone, scared out of their damn minds, and completely crushed under the weight of their unbearable loss. Well, almost alike; Bulma refused to let herself cry. She lifted her messy, blue-haired head from her knees to look on the faces of her companions. She knew some of their names. The stocky, red-haired, brown eyed girl's name was S'no. She came from where the frigid mountains of the north used to be before _they _came. Her fur coat now hung in tatters from her shoulders and she clung to a woman who looked about to be sick.

Bulma's icy eyes shifted to an ancient woman with dull pink hair. Her small frame was almost lost in the folds of her black robes, and she stared unblinkingly into space as if searching for answers in the black shadows of the dark room. Silent tears streamed down her face. Her name's Baba. She used to be some sort of fortuneteller. Now, all she ever talks about (when she talks at all), is something about her brother, always her dear brother…

Bulma moved her head a fraction to the right in order to see the pale black-haired girl in the corner. This one was younger than her by a few years (maybe around the same age as S'no), with a lean, muscular figure, and by the look in her surprisingly dry (well, maybe damp) eyes, had a temper as fiery as her own. _Good, _she thought bitterly. _She's gonna need all the spirit she can get. _Bulma didn't know her name.

The filthy, emotionally weary genius laid her head back onto her knees, letting her blue eyes close as the memories of her last days on Earth came unbidden to her mind…

* * *

_Day 1- the arrival_

_Bulma had awoken to her mother and father, still in their bedclothes and robes shaking her somewhat urgently. "Come on, Dear. You really must get up and see what is on the telly," her father's usually warm buoyant voice was laced with a bit of alarm. _

"_What? Dad?" Bulma yawned half sitting up. "This better not be one of your "Mythcrusher" episodes-"_

"_Oh, no, honey. This is serious." Bulma blinked in shock at her ditzy, vacant mother's serious frown before she threw the covers off and grabbed her robe. _

_The trio dashed down the stairs to the living room and all plonked themselves down in front of the t.v. in perfect synchronization._

"_For those of you just tuning in," a dramatic newscaster stared solemnly at the camera. "We have just received live footage of the disaster that has just occurred at 2:42 am in East City. As you can see, the entire area has been mowed to the ground by what appears to be an explosion…" the announcer's voice faltered as the aerial footage of a huge crater covered the screen._

* * *

_Day 2- The Saiyans_

_Bulma ran against the man-made current of people surging towards the mountain cave hideout's small three-by-four meter entrance. "Stay calm everyone!" She shouted desperately. Of course everyone was too busy shitting themselves and trying to get into the damn refuge to listen to the sixteen-year-old, fucking prodigy. "Hey! Shut the hell UP!" She screeched letting her temper get the best of her. A man with biceps as big as her head leapt away from her and pressed his hands to his mouth wide-eyed. The rest of the crowd quieted relatively quickly. "Now, if you are all done running around with your thumbs up your asses, listen up! There is no need to clamber to get inside right this second! The only thing it accomplishes is making you look too damn incompetent to stand still and use your heads! Now, get in single file and enter the shelter like civilized beings!" The front of the crowd quickly filed out and passed the command down the line. It looked a lot more organized and people were getting in much faster._

_Rarely had Bulma swore so much in one breath. She had always thought that profanity got you no where when dealing with mass panic. Note to self: frightened people + vulgar language = damn good leadership! She turned and continued running back towards the end ofthe line searching for her father. _

_The mass evacuations had begun early this evening when it was discovered that what had happened to East City was no nuclear plant meltdown or terrorist bombing. Oh, no, it was much worse. Of course at first no one believed that an entire city had been destroyed by two, seemingly normal-looking men._

_But when four other cities were hit within the next four hours, one, unlucky cameraman was able to capture an image that was aired live on ZTV. Two large muscular men stood among the ruins of the once proud South City. Screams and explosions could be heard beneath the cruel laughing of the diabolical duo as balls of light flew from their outstretched palms and leveled entire buildings. Those _beasts_ were taking their time playing with their victims! Suddenly, the shorter of the two _things_, jerked his face towards the poor hiding filmer and stared right into the machine. Covering one eye was a small green scanner-looking thing that beeped and glowed in a strange language. _

_Amazingly, the creature disappeared and reappeared holding the camera so it showed him clenching the cameraman's neck. The human's eyes bulged out as the animal holding him crushed his neck. Bulma had nearly gotten sick when she watched his killer laugh and toss the body away as easily as a rag doll. "A message to all our viewers out there!" He yelled cheerfully at the lens. "I'm your host, Raditz! And this is Nappa, my producer! –" the camera swiveled over to the big bald one who crossed his arms and rolled his eyes in annoyance at his underling's childish display-"We're just your friendly neighborhood Saiyans, and guess what? We've come to rid this planet of- you guessed it! All of its pitiful life forms!" He paused to cackle wickedly some more. "It's a pity, really, that you Saiyanoids present no challenge to us what so ever! I was hoping for a little more fun! Oh, well. Guess I'll just have to find me some more prey… m-m-m-hahahahaha!" and with that last blood-curdling laugh, the screen went black as he crushed it with one hand._

_Bulma shuddered at the memory, even as she ran in search of her father. "Dad? Dad?!" she shouted breathlessly, her eyes scanning the line. _

"_Bulma!"_

_She looked ahead and saw her father with ever-present kitty clinging to his shoulders as he moved towards her faster than she'd ever seen him go. In his hand was a hunk of ruined metal and shattered green glass. "Bulma! One of these people found this scouter! I believe it's one of theirs!"_

"_What?" she yelped snatching the small computer from his hands. It was the scouter of the one calling itself Raditz. The sceen was cracked and the earpeace had a marble sized hole all the way through it. "What happened to it? How did the guy get it?"_

"_The Red Ribbon Army sent its entire force out to destroy the aliens. One bullet managed to clip this scouter right off his big-haired head! I never thought I'd say this, but bless the RR!" Briefs explained happily. "Anyway the RR was destroyed and the Saiyans moved on, but they left this behind. Do you know what this means?!" He finished breathlessly and gripped Bulma's arms excitedly._

"_It means," Bulma exclaimed catching on, "that if we can figure out how this thing works, we could probably make a cloaking device! And we'll fix this thing up so that we will know when those bastards are nearby!" _

"_Bulma, such language! And, yes, those were my thoughts exactly!"_

"_Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get to the lab!" Bulma de-capsulized a hover car and dragged her father into the passenger seat before speeding back down the mountain towards the nearly empty West City._

* * *

Bulma shook her head, refusing to think of the next two days. Basically what had happened was she and her father had managed to make a cloaking device, but hadn't had the time to set the complex system around the refuge that had been built years beforehand by her father as a place to go in an emergency. The Saiyans had used the one called Nappa's scouter to find the mass of people just as the two scientists were driving up to install the cloaker. Bulma again shook her head at the memory of those bastards blasting the entire mountain refuge to ash right before her eyes.

It was Raditz who discovered her and her father. It seemed that their senses were far more attuned than humans are. When it had suddenly phased in front of them, she was certain that she was looking death in the face, but he noticed the new and improved scouter covering her right eye and he paused.

"My scouter," his rough voice was threaded with surprise. His black eyes shifted to her father who was trying his best to shield her. "Which one of you fixed it?" he harshly demanded.

Mr. Briefs bravely moved himself in front of his daughter, his entire body shaking, but his voice smooth and even. "Why does that matter? It's fixed now. You can have it back." He quickly turned, grabbed the small devise off Bulma's face, and spun back around, holding it out on a shaking hand to the hostile alien.

"Like I needed you to give it to me," the Saiyan growled, snatching it from Dr. Brief's palm, a cruel smile graced his would-be-handsome-under-other-circumstances face. "It would have been much more amusing to take it from you still-smoldering bodies! Now-" he grabbed the front of the small man's lab coat and lifted him up to his eye level. "-who fixed it?"

"P-please!" Bulma couldn't take it. She had somehow found enough courage to run forward and grip the man's sweaty arm with her small harmless hands. "I fixed it!"

"Bulma, no!" Never had Mr. Briefs yelled so loud at anyone, let alone his precious daughter.

Raditz, lowered her dad a bit to look at the small girl at his side. "And that?" he gestured towards the machinery in the car with the hand full of her father making him sway in the air.

Bulma gulped. "It… It's a cloaking device," she whispered frightfully. "We made it to mask our presence from the other scouter. We were on our way to install it around the mountain…. When you showed up…"

The silence seemed to stretch on forever, her eyes filling with tears as she stared at the ground waiting for the worst. A dark chuckle made her lift her eyes. The last thing she remembered before it all went black was a cold smirk and her father falling to the ground….

* * *

Bulma was wrenched from her memories by the sound of heavy boots approaching the door to the women's prison. All but Bulma and the silent, black-haired girl cried out in fear and scurried as far from the door as they could get. A second later, the door slid to the side, yellow light from the hallway spilling into the dark room and framed a huge silhouette.

Raditz entered warily, this time, eyes glaring left and right for an ambush. Bulma's lips quirked upwards at that. The last time he had sauntered into this room all arrogant, he had gotten a nasty surprise.

* * *

_Last week-_

_Bulma smiled to herself as she climbed down off one of the stray boxes in the cargo room the female captives were kept in. She kicked it out of the way of the door where she'd just been standing on it. 'I hope this works,' she thought to herself as she waded through the aisles the other women made with their bodies. In one corner, the black-eyed girl watched her silently._

_Reaching the far wall, more specifically the small air-vent, she knelt down and yanked the barred cover off and pushed her red pocket-tools inside as far as she could reach. After meticulously making sure the vent cover was on exactly as she had left it, she walked to the corner on the left of the door so she wouldn't be seen right away and waited. Bulma hates being in outer space. With out the sun, she had no way of keeping track of time or knowing exactly when those bastards will come pay them a visit. However, something told her she wouldn't have to wait too long._

_Her "room mates" had been just starting to wake up when a light came on under the edge of the door. The women and girls closest to it shrank back in fear. A baby girl started to wail until its mother shushed it with her breast and soft coos._

_'At last!' Bulma could hear the sounds of booted footsteps approaching the door. Her stomach squirmed in nervous anticipation as she watched the door expectantly._

_The door slid open and Raditz's familiar figure filled the doorway. Bulma could just barely make out his snarling features through her smarting eyes. She quickly blinked it away as she didn't want to miss a thing. She watched with bated breath as his eyes swept slowly over the faces of the twenty other females. She could tell the exact second he realized one was missing because his frowned deepened and he eyed the crowd again. Still not seeing the missing person, he growled and stepped into the room-_

_And broke the hair-fine trip wire with his shin. As he looked down to see what had made the tiny noise only he heard, the trap Bulma had set above the door sprung to life in less than a second, stabbing Raditz in the eye with the extra fork she had asked for the previous night at dinner. It had all happened in less than two seconds._

_With an ear-shattering howl of pain, Raditz jerked himself back into the hall clawing his face and pushing the utensil deeper. Nappa suddenly phased by his side alarmed at the screams and, after a short pause during which he stared incredulously at his co-worker, he started to laugh heartily in the writhing man's face._

_"Ho, Raditz!" he got out between gasping bouts of laughter. "Did those little girls get the best of you? Or did you forget how to use a fork?!" Nappa cackled some more and Raditz started shouting curses in a strange tongue as he disappeared down the hall. Nappa jovially yelled something in Saiyan after him and chuckled to himself as he guardedly stepped into the room. His mirth vanished as he glared at the utterly confused women and turned his back on them to look at the trap above the door._

_He observed it for a second, it was relatively simple. But how had they gotten the tools to construct it? He shrugged and turned back around, the smile back on his cold hard face. "Alright, ladies, whose idea was it? Not that I'm not grateful for the entertainment (it's always boring on a space ship), but Raditz is gonna want a little justice." The room became dead silent under his stares._

_Bulma crossed her arms impatiently. She'd spent all night on her little project and was now very tired. 'Let's get this over with.'_

_"Oh, come on!" Nappa yelled, making most of them jump. "No one's going to claim that stroke of brilliance?" More silence. "Fine." Nappa stepped into the room and everyone crawled back. Nappa chose his victim and reached for the baby that had cried earlier._

_Bulma's entire body went cold and she shot to her feet. Catching the movement out of the corner of his eye, Nappa swiveled towards her in fighting stance. Bulma re-crossed her arms and lifted a contemptuous eyebrow. "Jumpy?"_

_Nappa's face flushed in anger. "The scientist's daughter? You set the trap."_

_Bulma narrowed her eyes._

_"I see," he stood from his defensive crouch and cynically drawled, "Got nothin' to lose, so you're gonna make life hell for us in any way possible?"_

_She gave him a scowl that made him think 'Saiyan…' and growled, "I'm gonna sure as hell try my best."_

* * *

Bulma's smirk deepened as she remembered it. When Raditz had emerged from the rejuvenation tank with a newly formed eye (and just a tiny scar on the skin beneath it), he and Nappa took turns beating her four times into unconsciousness. After each session, they would put her into the rejuvenation tank to be completely healed for the next flogging. The last time, they left her in there just long enough to heal the broken bones and lacerations, but leave her sore for days. 'It was worth it.'

Bulma gingerly stood up and moved towards her captor. His black eyes glared such hatred into hers, that she almost dropped her gaze from his. Almost. When she stood in front of him, she smiled up innocently at him and spoke. "Excuse me, Sir," she purred. "Can we please have an extra blanket for the children? It's too cold in here for them." He said nothing, just stood there, glaring daggers at her. Bulma almost laughed when she realized his expression was similar to one a child would give a teacher who gave him a F. Except that instead of child-like, sulky you're-not-my-favorite-teacher-anymore look, his was closer to if-I-had-my-way-I-would-kill-you-where-you-stand-look. Still sulky and childish, but a little more psychotic, and definitely lacking in the innocence department. "Come on," she goaded. "What could I do with a blanket?"

That got a response. He started a low growl deep in his throat and stepped closer. It took a lot of something (courage, stupidity, I don't even know) to keep her from stepping back. He looked like he was about to kill her right there, but he somehow restrained himself. After the briefest of hesitations, he grumbled sullenly, "That's what you said about the fork." And with that, he disappeared into the hall, slamming the door behind him.

Bulma stared thoughtfully at the door for a second. She grudgingly admitted to herself that Saiyans were basically very strong and violent humans with tails. Just the thought was making her see red.

She jerked herself back around and made her way over to the pile of blankets in one corner. The other girls were picking out the least dirty to bed down on for the night. When they saw her heading towards them, they cleared the path and waited for her to make the first choice. She had given up trying to make them stop weeks ago.

They had been doing things like that, treating her like their leader since their first day in space. That was when Bulma had taken the first step to screw with the Saiyans' heads. She had managed to crack a hole in the wall of the room with her pocket-tools and bypass the locking mechanism on door from the inside. She had tried to make a break for the control room to figure out where they were headed, but had been caught halfway there. Nappa had escorted her unconscious body back to the cell and reinforced the security lock set in the wall. When she had come to, Bulma had found herself surrounded by all the girls, and everyone was clambering to help her up. She had bewilderedly received a hug and admiring word or two from everyone but the black-eyed girl in her corner; however, she did receive the first and last smile she had made in that hellhole. Between then and the fork incident, Bulma had been devising new pranks and attempts to reach the control room, which she used almost daily. After her third stunt, which left her unable to move for two days, she was absolutely positive that these creatures had a reason for keeping the human's alive. Her being alive was proof of that.

Bulma pulled the cleanest blanket she could find out of the pile and moved towards the two four small children who never left each other's sides. "Here," she murmured soothingly to them. "I won't be using it tonight anyway."

"But you didn't sleep last night either, Bulma," one said. Bulma just smiled.

* * *

Vamirii: Whew! That was long, especially for me! What did you think? Did I keep them in character? I was trying my best to, but I _am _a hopeless fangirl, so I'm not sure how well that worked out.

Should I continue?

Announcer: What will become of our little heroene? Will she survive long enough to get where the Saiyans are going? What are the diabolical duo planning for their prisoners? Who is the mysterious black-haired girl with fire in her eyes, and probably the biggest mystery of all, where do the women go to the bathroom? Find out next time, on-

Vamirii: Would you shut the hell up?!


	2. Chapter 2

Vamirii: Aaaaagh! Well, I'm back with a new chapta and I wanna thanky my reviewers Nesradana and private! ^^ So, THANKY!!!

* * *

'My god, I'm exhausted,' Bulma thought turning from the children now snuggling together in the folds of the blanket. Her body craved sleep, but she knew her over-active brain would never allow her any rest. Every night (or day, not that it really mattered) when she couldn't fight off the fatigue, terrible nightmares of her dead parents and destroyed planet would plague her. On more than one occasion, she had jerked awake screaming, with her companions trying to hold her down, and the children huddled somewhere and bawling in fright. Once, a particularly bad dream had brought Nappa down to see what the problem was.

Bulma went around the room, giving the others an encouraging word or two as she did every night, and every night she would end with the silent, black-eyed woman. Bulma never said a word to her; she would only smile. She felt that this girl, despite her hard muscled body that was growing softer by the day, was so fragile, even a single word might break her. So, every evening, Bulma would smile down at her; she would give that girl her most genuine smile, and then she would leave. And it had been like that, every day that Bulma was not in the rejuvenation tank or having one of her "sessions" with the monkeys, just like clockwork.

Except for tonight. Bulma went over and did her thing like normal, and, as usual, the girl would lift her head and give her a brief, but sincere grin of her own. But this time, as Bulma turned to leave, she felt a small tug on her leg. She looked down and was shocked to find that a small, pale hand had grasped the loose gray pants that had been provided for the group to wear while in captivity. She was even more astounded to find that the hand belonged to Black Eyes.

At first, she just stood there, staring down into those black, passionate eyes. In them she could see a crippling suffering, and a strong pulsing fury. It was a wonder- no a miracle that she hadn't gone insane. Bulma just _knew _she wasn't crazy, because underneath the torrent of emotion in her eyes, she could see a small scared little girl, who was just tired of being alone. 'What should I do?'

Slowly, Bulma sat down next to Black Eyes, resting her back on the wall. Black Eyes retracted her had just as slowly when she was sure Bulma wasn't going to leave. The silence that followed was loud, but, strangely, not uncomfortable. For a good long while, they just sat there, Bulma with her legs crossed, reclining against the wall, Black Eyes hugging her knees to her chest, staring at a spot on the floor. Then, Black Eyes hesitantly leaned just enough to rest her head on the brave woman's shoulder. Without a second thought, Bulma rested her own temple on her new friend's hair. And suddenly, the dam broke.

Both girls clutched each other hard as the sobs wrenched themselves unbidden from their throats, the tears leaping to their eyes and soaking the front of their dirty gray shirts. All the pain they had bottled up inside them had just spilled over when their hearts connected. They clung desperately to the other, riding out the terrible pain that washed through both of them, because they were terrified that to let go, meant they would be lost, that their very beings would cease to exist. They needed something real to hold onto, or they really just might go insane. They fell asleep like that, holding onto each other for dear life. It was the first dreamless sleep either had had since before they lost their home….

* * *

"Get up, you whores!"

The gruff shout jolted Bulma from blissful heavy sleep. Her eyes opened and quickly closed again when bright light burned the last of the sleep away. She blinked her eyes quickly and tried to sit up, when she realized that she was gripping something to her. Her eyes cleared enough to see Black Eyes looking just as confused as her.

"Hurry up!" There was that voice again. "We haven't got all day!"

Both girls lifted their heads to see both Nappa and Raditz at the door. The entire room was lit, but upon looking up at the ceiling, no light fixtures could be seen. It seemed to just seep out of no where. Most of the other girls were stumbling to their feet and forming a line in front of the two Saiyans. And that's when Bulma's sleep clogged mind registered that there was something different about them. Two somethings in fact. One, they were smiling, and two, each held a box. Nappa's was big enough to carry Bulma in if she curled up, with a little extra room to spare. Raditz's was a bit bigger than his head (not counting his hair, cuz if it did, it would be huge). "Line up, dumb asses!" Raditz barked at the few not lined up yet.

Black Eyes jerked Bulma to her feet with her ('Did I say her body was growing softer everyday? Damn!') and they both scrambled to get in line, curious as to what was going on.

When everyone was before him, Nappa stepped forward and placed his box on the floor. "Alright, maggots, we've been in space for about a month and-a-half, and now, within the hour, we will be touching down on your new home planet, Vegeta." He paused, a smug grin on his face as if he was waiting for some sort of applause. When he received none, his brow furrowed and he grumbled something in Saiyan. "In this box are your new uniforms." He opened them up to show identical balls of rough white fabric. "Your choice of new professions will be lab-rat, or guinea pig, whichever you prefer, a slave, or-" he paused to give them a piggish grin "a whore for the soldiers." He smiled cruelly as they all shivered or went pale. "Our social ladder is not very flexible, which means, when you are assigned or born into a profession, you are stuck with it. So choose carefully!" He barked a laugh and turned to Raditz.

Raditz stepped up next to Nappa with his box. "The gravity on Planet Vegeta is ten times that of your Earth's gravity, so it's advisable that you wear this." He reached into his box and removed what looked like a metal collar with a blue gem in it. "This gem is infused with a small amount of pure Saiyan ki. When the stone is heated, as it will be when held against your throats, the ki will react and serve as a barrier against the gravity that will surly kill you without it." He smirked harshly. "So it will be in your best interest to keep these collars on, got it?"

"Step forward and get your stuff!" Nappa ordered and everyone leaped to get herself new clothes. Bulma and Black Eyes hung back, however, not so keen on receiving the mark of a slave. Black Eyes squeezed Bulma's hand gently when she saw the blue-eyed genius grinding her teeth in fury.

When the last middle-aged woman had stepped from the boxes, Bulma and her friend stepped towards them reluctantly. For some reason, when Bulma chose hers, Nappa gave her a small, wicked smile. The slaves' uniform was actually a pale shimmering gray, and only looked big enough to fit an infant. Frowning Bulma lifted hers out. The fabric was indeed rough, but when she hesitantly tugged on a corner, it stretched as easily as putty. She exchanged a glance with Black Eyes and moved towards Raditz.

Raditz pulled the box away when Black Eyes made to reach in. He looked into her glittering eyes for a second and then rummaged around inside the box before pulling out a silver collar with a black, kite-shaped jewel. He thrust it into her hands rudely and gave her a glare that she, to his surprise, returned with an even more intense contempt. When his glare faltered for less than a second, she moved on.

Bulma approached Raditz, her arms crossed, but her face meek. She felt that she shouldn't make him too angry with her today. Without even looking at her eyes, Raditz reached into the box and pulled out a blue stone set in the strange silvery metal. The stone was clear and cut into a kite shape as well, but the points on hers were sharper, giving it a more jagged appearance. Glowering, he tossed it at her and jerked around to walk petulantly out of the room. Bulma smiled at how much he hated her.

When the door slid shut behind Nappa, Bulma turned around and watched as the women resignedly started to dress. Sighing, Bulma did the same. Her outfit seemed to be some kind of one-piece leotard-looking thing with long flowing veils draping it. The fabric stretched too easily, so it kind of looked like a lump of material that needed to be held up. But as soon as the wearer's legs were through it, the entire thing snapped up to fit snuggly against her skin, showing all of the assets of a woman. The sudden motion of the presumed inanimate fiber startled even Bulma into crying out with a start.

When Bulma was done putting it on, she looked down at herself. The main part of the ensemble was indeed a light gray, long-sleeved leotard that left her legs bare. Attached to the shoulders were four thin, transparent veils, two on each shoulder, which hung both behind and in front of her, down to just above her knees. They, of course, showed the tard underneath and left her arms free. With every slight movement she made the veils flowed making the fabric shimmer into different shades of gray. She grudgingly admitted to herself that the look was actually quite flattering. Bulma's eyes lit on Baba (whose face went from red, to blue, to white, and started over again) and turned away quickly, trying to stop the bile from rising and get the image burned into her retinas out of her head.

After recovering from the sight of poor… lumpy Baba, Bulma turned to a girl next to her- and noticed she was wearing completely different clothes. Hers was still gray but were much more modest. They covered her from neck to ankle and did not complement her figure. Quickly scanning the room, she found there was one other type of clothing as well, a dress that buttoned up and stopped at the knees. "There are different outfits…?" she said to herself befuddled. And then it clicked. "One for each job!"

Bulma slowly looked down at herself, a look of absolute horror spreading across her features as she realized just what profession she had unknowingly chosen. "You guys!" she called for everyone's attention. "The clothes we just chose dictates our jobs! They didn't tell us that by choosing the clothes we were sealing our fates!"

All the girls caught on, and poor Baba fainted. Bulma spun towards Black Eyes. She was wearing the button up dress. 'A lab-rat…' Black Eyes took in Bulma's apparel gave her a look of utmost sympathy.

All of a sudden the entire ground beneath them jerked, tossing half the girls to the ground. A voice shouted from the hallway, "Put your collars on now!" Bulma grabbed for her collar and looped it around her neck as she felt the floor start to angle and she had to lean back to keep herself from falling forward. The metal stretched, too until Bulma got the clasp to lock on the back and she let go. Strangely, as soon as it was on, it seemed to become a second skin, it fit so comfortably. She gasped as she looked down to see her entire body glowing softly. Raising a startled hand to her face she saw that the color was a light blue and, as she watched it faded away into her skin. As it did, Bulma felt a strange sensation, starting at her neck and spreading to the rest of her body. She felt… stronger, and refreshed, her whole body light. Just as the light did, the vibes faded, but left her feeling good.

Until the room started to slant more and she lost her footing. Tumbling to her knees she saw a stunned expression on Black Eyes features as her hand slowly dropped from her own collar. A soft, but bright red glow melted into her skin. 'Did you feel that, too?'

The entire ship started to vibrate and Bulma stumbled to her feet and towards the window on the wall ahead of her. Pulling herself up onto her tip toes in order to look out, Bulma's eyes popped out of her head and her jaw dropped. Rapidly growing larger was a giant ball of earthy tones of brown and red and orange, with wispy gray clouds. "Planet Vegeta…"

The ship gave one last vigorous jerk that took the precariously standing Bulma by surprise. The sudden violent movement caused her to smack her head hard off the windowsill. As her vision spotted Bulma stumbled back and tripped on another girl. "Bulma!" A coarse, unfamiliar voice screeched as she hit the floor cold.

Bulma came to two minutes later her eyes flickering at the pain in her temple. "Bulma, Bulma, Bulma…." She could hear that same voice from before she passed out and she blinked, trying to see whom it belonged to. Finally clearing the haze of pain from her eyes, Black Eyes worried face peered down at her from above. A smile lit her pretty face as she realized that Bulma was awake. "Bulma…"

"Black Eyes?" she said groggily. It was the first time Bulma had ever heard her speak.

Black Eyes paused and helped Bulma sit up. "My…" she had to stop to clear her weak throat. It had been unused for at least a month and-a half, now. "My name is Chichi." She looked shyly away at Bulma's wide eyes.

Just then the door burst open. Raditz stood in the entrance. "Well don't just stand there! MOVE IT!!" Bulma stared at his excited expression and twitching tail.

The women gathered up the children and rushed from the room almost as excited as the Saiyan was to get out of the cramped little room. Bulma and Chichi were, for once, completely obedient and were one of the first in line to be led into their new home. Raditz closed the door behind the last girl and phased to the head of the line to escort them out. As one the women all surged forward after him, eager to get off their prison ship onto a, hopefully more spacious dungeon. They passed two doors and what looked like the control room that Bulma had tried so hard to reach on their voyage. At the end of the narrow hall was Nappa, leaning impatiently against the wall. When he saw them approaching he turned and pressed a button, the huge door swinging down and letting in a flood of bright light. Bulma squinted against the blaze, and, gripping Chichi's hand tightly, stepped off the ship and onto her new "home."……

* * *

"My lady…" a smaller-than-normal Saiyan knelt with respect before a woman's back. The woman wore the traditional, but decidedly more feminine, red, white, and black armor of the Vegeta family. Her long, black hair was pulled into a high, slightly spiky ponytail that hung to her lower back over the blood-red cape that ended at her knees. Her spiky bangs framed her beautiful, sharp-featured face down to her chin. The young Saiyan on his knees kept his head down, but sensed her looking over her shoulder at him, and could picture her black, vulpine eyes glittering at him like gems.

"What is it, Qwosh?" Her voice, though strangely kind, was like velvet wrapped around steel.

"Queen Frutia," he murmured properly. "You had said that you wanted to be informed the moment the purgers came back from planet Earth. Well they arrived just a few moments ago on the royal ship dock, your grace."

Silence answered him and he frowned. Looking up with his eyes, he found the spot where she had once stood, empty. Feeling out with his mind, Qwosh realized that she had phased and was moving quickly down the halls, already almost to the docking platform on the other side of the huge palace.

* * *

Vamirii:Tuh daaaaaah!! Well? How was it? Did you at least smile at my pathetic attempts at humor? Poor Baba! Oh, by the way, if you noticed the Saiyan names, you get a million points. Qwosh=squash which is a vegetable. And, I wasn't really sure I could come with any good feminine vegetable names so I decided that it made sence that the female Saiyans would have fruit names! I'm actually quite proud of myself! I think it's pretty clever to name the queen of Saiyans Fruit (cuz da king's name is Vegetable...).

Announcer: Well it seems that our heroine has reached her destination safely. But how safe is she now that she is going to be forced into 'entertaining' the vicious Saiyan soldiers? And what isto become of Chichi in the lab? What sort of evil tests will the diobolical scientists have in store for her? And why does the queen of this barbaric species have an enterest in the earthlings arrival? To learn the answers to these questions and more, tune in next time-

Vamirii: YOU ARE NOT IN MY STORY!!! AWAY WITH YOU!


	3. Chapter 3

Vamirii: Omigosh that took me awhile! This was my favorite chapter to write so far, but I'm starting to worry about Bulma being out of character. I really hope not! If you think so too let me know ok? Thanky agian to Nesradana and my other lovly reviewers! Now I'm not worried about alysia16 attacking me! Thank you!

* * *

Bulma stumbled onto the ship's ramp and paused for a moment, stunned at the sight. They had just landed in what looked like some sort of port without a ceiling. Other ships were lined up in rows on either side of them and on the opposite end of the room, set into the wall was a rack of small, one-man pods. A hard shove from Raditz had her flailing to keep herself from falling as she scurried from the ramp and into the line forming in front of Nappa.

"Line up according to your jobs!" Nappa snapped, clearly wishing to be done with his job so he could leave. "Test subjects line up there, whores there, and slaves here."

Chichi reluctantly left her side and joined the other girls in the gray dresses. Without her friend standing next to her, Bulma suddenly realized that the air on this planet was thin and, in here at least, colder than it was on the ship. She began to breathe through her mouth and crossed her arms over her chest as her body reacted to the drop in temperature.

Soon the girls were lined up before Raditz, who eyed them maliciously. Nappa disappeared back into the ship. A few moments later, he escorted a group of twenty or so men in the same garb as the women (minus the *ahem***** more feminine apparel) down the plank and onto the ground. Bulma blinked in surprise. She hadn't known about any other captives, although, now that she knew they were here, it made sense that they would take men to experiment on and exploit. She let her eyes wander over them.

Like the female hostages, the males were of all different ages, and probably nationalities, back on Earth. There was a large, bulky man with _three eyes! _Naturally, he was wearing a test subject's coat and breaches. A dark skinned man with a red dot on his forehead was after him in a slave's attire. Both had black stones cut into a circle on their collars. Her eyes roamed over a young child (green-stone; drudge), a short fat middle-aged man (brown triangle; guinea pig) and… "DAD!"

Dr. Briefs' head jerked towards the sound, his eyes wide behind his glasses' cracked lens. "Bulma!" He cried, leaping off the ramp while his daughter ran to him.

Bulma ran abruptly into a brick wall, one that, as she staggered and almost fell backwards, shot a hand out and grabbed her arm, harshly jerking her forward again. An explosion of pain erupted in her shoulder at the powerful yank and she cried out. When the spots cleared from her vision, she saw Raditz clutching her wrist, as sick smirk twisting his face, and behind him, Nappa dragging her father by the scruff of his pale gray slave-suit back into the line of men now on the dock floor. "Get back in line," Raditz growled pompously.

Silent tears fell unbidden from her eyes as Raditz dragged Bulma back to her place. She wiped them away almost before they had a chance to wet her cheeks. She found a small comfort in the fact that these brutes weren't going to experiment on her father, and a huge pleasure in him being alive. 'All this time, I had thought he was dead…' Before she could stop it, a soft sob wrenched itself from her tight throat before she could suppress it. Bulma had to take two gigantic gulps of air so she could get over her light-headedness (only a small part of which had to do with the thin air).

With all the captives back in their places, Nappa opened his mouth to speak, but the entire chamber echoed when a door was thrown open on the far wall next to the solo-pods. Both Saiyans casually looked toward the sound- and promptly dropped to their knees in a respectful bow, their fists pressed to the ground at their sides, their heads bowed. A sharp glare shot at the groups of Earthlings quickly brought them to the ground as well. Before Bulma lowered her head, however, she got a quick glance at the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.

"Your Highness," Nappa murmured meekly.

"My queen," Raditz followed suit.

The woman stood before them and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. "Stand, Captain Nappa." Bulma blinked in wonder. 'She sounded so regal.' She risked a sneaky peak at the woman, this time taking a few seconds to analyze her. Her face was hard with sharp angles, but Bulma was certain that if she smiled, her features would be angelic. Like the two Saiyan purgers, this woman had black hair and cold, black eyes. But, instead of the dark armor that those two wore, her breastplate was white and red and shaped for the female body. On the left breastplate was a three-horned insignia, probably the royal crest of Vegeta. Her hair was pulled up, and a dark red and black cape hung to her knees. A thin silver chain, from which a small circular pendent hung, looped her long, slim neck. Her crossed arms were bare, but her long hard-muscled legs were covered by a tight black spandex. Her visibly soft, brown tail waved slowly back and forth behind her.

Nappa stood and Bulma jerked her head back down. "Queen Frutia," he said (shockingly) breathlessly. "What a pleasant surprise!"

Frutia brushed aside his gushiness. "What did you bring back, boys?" she asked looking curiously at the huddled forms of the humans.

"Earthlings, my lady," Nappa announced smugly. The queen raised arched an impatient brusque eyebrow at him and he visible wilted under her stare. "Oh… Heh, I, uh, guess you already knew that… they, uh, call themselves humans, your highness… They are pretty weak, one of the easiest planets we've purged…"

Frutia turned back and studied them noncommittally. "I want to see them better," she ordered.

"Stand up, you dogs!" Nappa snapped at the humans. "The queen wishes to look at you!"

Bulma stumbled to her feet like the rest. The queen moved down the lines. She occasionally stopped to peer closer at one of them, but she would shake her head and move on. Watching her, Bulma's stomach churned as she got the impression of a person trying to pick out a new pet dog. Her face flushed in anger, and she bit the inside of her lip. The temperature seemed to drop another fifty degrees when the woman stopped in font of Chichi.

The queen's eyes lingered on her collar for a millisecond before coming up slowly to look into her face. Her eyebrow raised, but her expression remained blank. A ghost's shadow of a smile touched her lips when Chichi defiantly held her gaze. Bulma held her breath as she observed them, and released it slowly when the queen turned away and moved on. 'Chichi, you're so stupid! What are you trying to do, looking at the queen like that? Trying to get yourself killed?!' Bulma almost didn't notice at first when the queen stepped in front of her.

"My, my, you're exotic," the queen murmured softly as she looked at Bulma's soft, albeit messy blue hair. "And although it's soft, your body isn't half bad either. Is that why you chose to be a whore?"

'WHAT?!' Having completely forgotten her mental lecture for Chichi, Bulma defiantly crossed her arms and glared daggers up at the four-inch taller woman. "Hey! I didn't choose to be anything! Those two neglected to tell us that those rolled up little packages we randomly selected were going to dictate our future! I do have dignity and pride, you know!"

Queen Frutia blinked down at Bulma, her face totally void of emotion. Nappa bore angry holes into her face with his eyes while Raditz, still on his knees, gave her a huge caustic smirk from his position on the floor, his eyes gleaming with sadistic glee.

Bulma's face paled as reality sunk in and she began to quiver, but she kept her audacious expression firmly in place. She felt her stomach drop heavily on her toes when the queen's lips began to quirk upward, and then with a shockingly melodious sound, the woman began to laugh. Bulma couldn't hold her bold stance at that little surprise. Her mouth fell open as the queen held her stomach and laughed heartily, wiping a stray tear from the corner of her eye.

When she was able to form a coherent sentence, Frutia straightened up and jovially smacked Bulma's back, making her fall flat on her face. "I haven't laughed so hard since my 6-year-old son threw a fit and blew up my husband's favorite throne with him sitting in it!" she declared putting her fists on her hips as Bulma laid sprawled out on the floor feeling like she got hit by a bus. "Vegeta was so mad! He looked hilarious with his beard all singed!" The queen giggled some more as Bulma wobbled to her feet wide-eyed.

Raditz was on his feet in an instant. "Queen Frutia, I apologized sincerely for that creature's disrespect!" He said submissively. "If you like, I could oversee her punishment in your place?" A hint of hopefulness flavored his docile voice.

Frutia's geniality vanished in less than the time it took to blink and she turned her hard, frigid eyes on the poor being that was Raditz. The callous glare might as well have been another pair of forks in the eye for how quickly his face drained of blood. "I don't remember giving you permission to stand, Raditz." Her voice was low, calm; dangerous.

Bulma stared at the small exchange and Raditz's prompt drop back to the ground in total bewilderment. Raditz was a good five inches taller and probably (at least) 100 pounds heavier than this tall, muscled woman, yet she had him so whipped, he was trembling on the floor like an obedient dog! And a Chihuahua, at that! She tore her eyes away from the tail-tucked Saiyan on the ground to study the warrior queen. 'Just how strong _is_ she?!'

Bulma blinked when she found a bright pair of black eyes meeting her own. Frutia's face was blank, but her eyes were practically beaming. She gave Bulma one last calculating look before turning back down the line to inspect her fellow humans. Bulma slowly released a breath she didn't know she was holding.

After what seemed like hours, Frutia finally moved away from the last human captive and next to Nappa. Her quick gait had a sense of finality about it. "Alright, Raditz. Stand up and quit your sniveling," she sighed exasperated. Raditz scrambled to obey. He made his face stony, giving away how hard he was trying to preserve some dignity and only succeeding in robbing himself of more.

"Queen Frutia?" Nappa asked hesitating for a millisecond.

"I've decided." She crossed her arms in a triumphant, arrogant gesture.

Everyone looked at her expectantly, but she just stood there, a smug, self-satisfied grin on her face. After a moment, Nappa and Raditz sweat dropped and Nappa cleared his throat. "And, your highness?"

She blinked at him as if he didn't have a brain cell to his name and said indignantly, "I've made my choice, Idiot!" (The ground shook with the ignored anime-fall of the humans and two male Saiyans alike.)

Nappa's face muscles twitched with the effort to keep smiling respectfully. "Forgive me, but… your choice about what?"

Frutia scowled. "My new maids of course!" (Another anime-fall made by all those present that, again, went unacknowledged by the queen.)

"I see," Nappa said giving her a pained smile. "And which ones…?"

This is what Frutia had apparently been waiting for. Her chin came up and she seemed to be as tall as the ceiling. "I'll take that Saiyanoid one-" she pointed to Chichi. "And the blue-haired wench."

Bulma looked like she was having an apoplexy. "What?!" She was so shocked that she was being allowed to live, she didn't even feel anger at the less-than graceful title she had just been given.

She wasn't the only one who was a little surprised. Raditz looked like he was suffering from a hemorrhoid and Chichi's jaw was damn near touching the floor.

Nappa recovered quickly enough and as timidly as was possible of a Saiyan approached his queen. "My lady, I would not advise taking the blue one…" he faltered momentarily when she gave him a caustic glare. "It's just that, well, that one gave us more trouble than the entire human race combined is all…"

"Really…" a dangerous glint entered her voice and eyes at that bit of gossip. "But you said yourself that the humans were weak." She turned and looked searchingly at Bulma for a moment as if reading a passage in a book; then faced her inferior again. "And this one seems to be one of the weakest. So how could she have possibly caused you great men more trouble than the rest of her _entire_ planet?"

Nappa blinked and exchanged a quick glance with Raditz, who looked just as bewildered as he. He attempted to return her gaze, his mouth working silently for a second. Finally he settled on the clever response, "Uh…"

"Perhaps it his not strength of the body that this woman possesses," she said, her voice suddenly softening and her obsidian eyes becoming drastically more gentle. "But a strength in here." She tapped Nappa's chest, making him goggle her openly. Bulma watched in fascination. Obviously, this topic held a personal sentimental importance for Frutia, alone.

The uncharacteristic demeanor of the queen vanished in an instant to be replaced by shear, raw anger at her small slip. Too fast for Bulma to see, she punched Nappa in the chest where she had just poked him. She didn't even draw her hand back, just curled the finger up with the rest of them and propelled her fist forward. That was all the force she needed, obviously, for Nappa gave an airy grunt and folded over her hand. When the queen turned huffily around to face the humans, Nappa nursed his wounded chest and pride.

"Well?" Frutia snapped at her two new pets. "Let's go, it's starting to smell down here! Oh, and Nappa-" He stood straighter. "-I want a full report tomorrow morning." With that she turned and marched to the door. Bulma exchanged a quick glance with Chichi and they both ran to catch up.

* * *

Queen Frutia waited impatiently in the hall outside the port for the two young girls to reach her. When they did, and the door automatically slid shut behind them, she allowed her face to smooth and she uncrossed her steel arms. She fixed each girl with a probing look that each took with a minimum of foot shifting. A faint trace of pride in her decision was permitted to touch her features, as that was an honorable feat. She smirked a little in amusement when they jumped at the sound of her voice. "So. I hope I'm right in assuming you humans have names?"

They blinked at the question, obviously surprised at her quick mood-shift. They didn't answer at first, but when the queen's smile widened a fraction, the blue-eyed girl opened her mouth.

"…My name is Bulma." Bulma was completely appalled at herself. 'Why in the world am I feeling _shy, _of all things?! What is it with this woman? She reminds me of… my mother…' She was thoroughly disturbed at that random comparison. This Saiyan queen was _nothing_ like Bunny, except that they both shared the same maternal air about them. Bulma's lip trembled at the thought of her late mom, but just couldn't understand how she could sense a similarity connecting the two. 'Well she did say she had a son…'

Bulma started from her tender musings by a not-so-queenly snort. She gawked at the childish grin before her. "Odd name," Frutia remarked crassly.

Frutia discounted Bulma's red, affronted face and focused on the smaller girl. "And you?"

"I'm Chichi," the young beauty said simply.

Frutia nodded and began to walk slowly down the hall, not bothering to make sure they were following. After all, where else could they go? Sure enough, her acute ears picked up their hesitant, noisy footsteps. Frutia grimaced. 'They need to learn to be quieter if they are going to work for me.'

The closer to the heart of the palace Frutia lead them, the warmer the air became and the corridors they walked began to grow wider and more ornate, if still simple. The walls had changed from a plain white-ish gray plaster to a more earthy stone, and the continuous white square floor was replaced with black and red diamond-shaped tiles. When they strode into a hall adorned with depicted battle-scenes, Frutia surreptitiously scanned her new maids to see how they were taking to what will become their new home. She smiled at Bulma's childlike curiosity as she tried to study each portrait and keep up with Frutia's long strides. Chichi was also interested in the art, but was trying her best not to appear so. She would glance at each one with a detached manner, but Frutia saw the discreet admiration in her eyes.

The halls' décor wasn't their only source of variety. Quite often their small group would encounter other slave/servants or Saiyans, all of whom bowed or saluted with a fist to their chest as the queen passed by, and some of whom received a brisk but polite word or two from the Queen.

Bulma, arms still crossed in front of her chest did notice a few odd looks directed her and Chichi's way, but felt that she herself bore the majority of them. After all, here was a barefoot and body-conscious slut running around after the Queen of Saiyans. Bulma was also aware of some voracious attention she was attracting from some of the males. Sometimes they would openly stare at her with a bestial glare, and sometimes they would give her a provocative smirk. She even looked over her shoulder at a pair of them, just straightening up from their bowed positions, to see them point a finger at her and whispering something that, when paired with a pelvic thrust, they both found funny. Bulma's face was permanently red and she envied Chichi's rough but modest dress. Frutia sniggered wickedly to herself at her pet's coy behavior.

The occasional encounters with others grew steadily more frequent as the three proceeded down the halls. At one point they passed a huge set of tightly closed double doors. They were plain, like the rest of the palace, however they did have sharp-edged carvings in the dark wood. The two humans' eyes lingered on them as their feet carried them past, and did not go unnoticed by the queen. For the second time, they started at the monarch's inquiry.

"I can't help but wonder if either of you used to be royalty back on Earth?" The question seemed to be aimed more at Chichi, but Frutia eyed both girls over her shoulder.

Both of them were caught off guard by the strange query. After a moment, Bulma opened her mouth uncertainly. "I was about as close to royalty as a commoner could get… My family was richer than any nobility, or anyone for that matter. We own- owned the largest technology and medical supply company on Earth. It was called Capsule Corp…."

Frutia nodded slowly and looked to Chichi, whose eyes were firmly planted to the floor. "And what about you?" She asked smoothly.

Chichi's shoulders hunched and for a moment, Bulma believed she wasn't going to answer. But then, her face came up and she fixed a brave, searing glare on Frutia. "Yes, I was a princess. My father, the Ox King, was killed by that scumbag, Nappa."

Frutia nodded nonchalantly. "I was certain that you were. Only someone raised as nobility could walk through their conqueror's castle with such poise and blasé, contemptuous detachment." After the slightest of hesitations that she tried to hide under the pretense of facing forward, she added as an afterthought, "It must be hard; being reduced to a slave after living your whole life with such a high status." She ignored Chichi's surprised half-gasp; the girl was probably aware that that was as close as she was going to get with voicing sympathy or offering any form of condolences.

Frutia was almost surprised to find that they had already reached her and her husband's personal quarters. Her fingers flew mechanically over the keypad panel on the wall. The door slid open to permit them into the anteroom. She entered the dark room confidently and watched as her two companions came in slowly after her, taking in their new surroundings. The door slid shut behind them with sharp click.

The lighting in the room was almost too dim for Bulma to see, but she could make out the strange marking on the panel pads on the inside of the door. 'Looks like I'll have to learn to read Saiyan…' She thought bitterly.

Chichi glanced around her tensing slightly with the loss of light. The anteroom walls were made from the same dark stone as the halls but had dark velvet drapes hanging on the windowless walls. The floor was red marble with black veins running through it. Simple, carved hardwood furniture was arranged casually around the round room. She begrudgingly admitted that the décor was humbly classy.

Frutia decided they had had enough time to study the first room. "Come," she barked striding across the room to a door that they almost didn't notice. That one lead to the master bedroom. Both girls' eyes bugged and Bulma went so far as to exclaim appreciatively.

Of course it was styled in the practical, modest way that the rest of the castle they had seen was, with dark hues of red and black and the carved wooden furniture. But the size of it! Their eyes were immediately drawn to the massive bed in the middle of the wall on their right. It had a tall red-and-black canopy over same colored silk bedding. The floor was covered with a lush red carpet and the curtains covering the long windows straight across from the door they just entered from, looked to be made of a finer material. Naturally, the remaining furniture was just as luxurious with cushions of red velvet complementing the dark wood. In a corner in the room was forbidding looking wooden desk with an even more ominous pile of papers stacked precariously on top.

Frutia seemed pleased with their reaction and motioned them to her with a miniscule smile. "This way."

They followed her to the far side of the bed finding a small table littered with a few bedside items on it. Next to the table, set into the wall seamlessly, was a small camouflaged door that was made to look like a part of the wall. They wouldn't have even known it was there if Frutia hadn't opened it by pressing her palm against it. The stone under her hand glowed blue for a moment and the door swung easily inward. Frutia led them inside.

"This," Frutia gestured with an arm to the tiny, modest bedroom. "Is where both of you will be staying." The walls were stone like the master bedroom but a white carpet protected their feet from the cold floor. In one corner was a small twin-sized bed with a soft white comforter. And in another a sturdy, un-carved wooden table was set with two chairs. A tiny, bare window was directly across the wall from them and another door, left ajar, showed what appeared to be a bathroom.

"I think you can figure out what these rooms do," Frutia said, gesturing again for them to explore.

Bulma, having already analyzed the bedroom ('One twin-sized bed for two to share?! I've never slept in a twin, even when I was a kid!'), she made for the bathroom with Chichi right behind her. She opened the door all the way and felt her jaw brush against her toes. The only thing she could recognize was the signs of a collapsible toilet and shower in the wall, and only because the Capsule Corp. used to design those for large traveling capsules like RVs and multi-passenger planes to save space. The room was tiny, only meant for one person to be in it at a time. The space between two parallel walls was just wide enough for Bulma to straighten her arms and put both palms flat on each one. One wall was just a solid mirror and a sink couldn't be found. "Uh… Your Highness? Wheres the sink?"

Bulma looked around to see a puzzled expression on Frutia's face as she said, "What would you need a sink in the bathroom for?"

"Well, you know, to wash your face and clean your teeth…," she murmured, suddenly and inexplicably feeling foolish for asking.

Frutia's frown deepened. "You are supposed to do that in the shower of course."

"But," Bulma persisted blushing slightly. "I don't see any tooth brushes."

Frutia's face went from bewilderment to fascination. "What are tooth brushes?" (Simultaneous anime-fall from humans.)

"I-It's a brush designed specifically for cleaning plaque off of teeth."

Frutai nodded and then impatiently rolled her eyes. "Well, looks like I have to give some hygene lessons," she grumbled. She tapped a small cupboard door above the folded shower and pulled out a small, clear container filled with what looked like blue little pills. "Every night when you get in the shower, you chew one of these. They both clean and protect your teeth for 24 hours. And yes it is safe to swallow." She put them back and pointed to the slightly bigger cabinet next to it. "Drying and washing cloths are in there. You know what those are, don't you?" At their silent nod, she swept out of the bathroom and fixed them with a glare.

"Now. You both are my hand maids and the tasks I will have for you to do may not be easy, especially sense neither of you had to do your own work back on Earth. Every night, when I retire, you will not leave this room unless I specifically call for you." She paused to let them absorb that and then continued. "Some people think it is foolish of me, but I believe you should be allowed to live the way you want to someday. I think it is enough that you lost your home and family, so I will not keep you as servants for the rest of your lives, so long as you earn the promotions I can give you. If you please me, you will receive rewards between advancements." Frutia suppressed a smile as the two gave each other dumbfounded looks; the hope gleaming in their eyes warmed her heart a bit, but she pushed the feeling down. "I am done with you for the night." She turned towards the door but stopped, remembering something. "Oh, and I would try to get as much sleep as I could tonight. You've got to get up early tomorrow."

"For what?" Bulma blurted out before she could stop herself.

Both girls felt an icy cold shiver run down their spines as Frutia turned slowly around with a mischievous smile. "For your training of course."

* * *

Vamirii: Ooo, creepy! God,my hands hurt like the shiznit right now! I got on a roll writing last night and had to drag myself from the computer to get some of that overrated stuff called sleep... (ew...) But anywho, I think the next chapter should be fun to write as well. Come complain to me how long and awful this chapter was in a nice, juicy reveiw, eh? (no, I'm not Canadian) - -;

Announcer: Join us next time for Dragon Ball BV!


	4. Chapter 4

Vamirii: Hola, peeps! Wow, I updated fast this time! I really got into writing this one because- well, you'll see! So, as usual, sock it to me in a review and let me know how I'm doin'. I'm actually kinda surprised I didn't get any critisism yet (not that I'm complaining ^^) even though I'm sure you english majors out there are cringing at some of my structures. But hey, I'm sure you've read worse.

Anyway, read + enjoy! Chou.

* * *

Chichi watched Frutia's retreating back disappear through the doorway. As it clicked shut, an ominous silence filled the room and the first tendrils of fear and foreboding snaked their way into her chest to wrap painfully around her heart. Both she and her roommate stayed completely still for a few moments, still waiting for the reality of the past few weeks to set in. Bulma was the first to move. She stalked her way over to the door and began to scrutinize. Chichi watched as always in fascination as the mathematically inclined teen calculated the almost invisible opening pad on the door. She inhaled slowly. "I think the reason our door is heat activated is because these rooms were prepared for the possibility of inhabiting someone who can't read Saiyan," she said sounding like Chichi's old hired tutor.

"What do you think she meant by 'training?'" Chichi asked. Bulma looked away from the door to watch Chichi's elegant movements towards the small bed. She sat lightly on the edge as if prepared to spring up at any second.

"I don't know," she answered slowly. "Maybe she means physical training. These Saiyans seem to be into that sort of thing…" Chichi detected her slight shudder. "Seeing the way she treated those other two makes me wonder just how powerful she really is… I mean, did you see the way she had them shaking? And she's observant, too, what with the way she picked up on you being royalty and all… I think she most definitely has a brain that she uses for more than just keeping her skull from caving in, unlike those…" she struggled for a real crusher of an insult- "men!"

Chichi, now that she was alone with her new friend, allowed a light smile to brighten her round, childish features. "I think you're right. About both the queen and our training. I don't think she would take to having servants who had to rely on these," she gestured to her collar.

Bulma came over and joined her on the bed. The sat in silence for a moment more, not really sure how to make much sense of their predicament. At last, Chichi spoke. "I think we should go to bed now. We don't really know what's going to happen tomorrow."

Bulma nodded. After all, that sounded logical, and right now, she really needed something logical to hold onto. She let Chichi have the wall-side of the bed and she tried to settle as comfortably onto the edge as she could get. She was surprised to find that that wasn't hard, even with the lack of space to spread out. Maybe it was because they hadn't slept in a true bed for more than a month, or maybe the exhaustion of all the events of that time had finally caught up to them, but when their heads touched those pillows, they felt the almost forgotten fingers of sleep caressing their consciousness. Soon they were both out.

* * *

Frutia made her way back down the halls, following the familiar paths to the throne room where she knew Vegeta would be. Her strides were long and purposeful, carrying her quickly to the huge double-doors that she shoved open easily and without knocking.

She entered the throne room with her queenly air fully intact, ignoring the exasperated glances sent her way that were quickly remedied when they saw to whom they were aimed. All but one at least; that one belonged to her dear husband, King Vegeta.

At the sound of the doors opening, the stoic ruler looked up sharply in irritation and almost growled when he saw his spouse. His wife had a habit of interrupting his numerous meetings, some of which were important. Although everyone already knew it, Vegeta would never admit that he welcomed most of these disruptions.

As usual, she walked right through the line of men grouped before their monarch, expecting them to move from her path (which they did without hesitation), and took her place perched on one of the wide arms of her king's throne. Her tail unwrapped itself from around her waist and rested on the seat next to his thigh, the very tip flicking contentedly. As usual, he would shoot her a fake malicious glare (that she would disregard anyway) and gesture impatiently for the speaker to continue the matter at hand.

Frutia was a political genius and had helped King Vegeta on many occasions with the running of his monarchy, although she would take none of the credit. He had given up years ago trying to make her known as any sort of factor in the way he governed for he learned early on that if he did, when he returned to his quarters that evening, he would receive a broken, bloody nose and a cold bed. Although he wasn't exactly sure why she refused to be a known politician (and he wasn't going to ask for risk of offending her and missing out on a night of fun), he had a suspicion it had something to do with her pride in him… But what the hell did he know, right? Women were a strange species.

The nobility knew that with the arrival of the queen, the productivity of the meeting and the king's patience would be drastically cut short and that the best thing to do was wrap it up quickly and set a soon pick-up date to continue from. In a matter of a few minutes, the men and women before the rulers had dispersed, leaving the king and queen alone.

When the door closed behind the last lobbyist, King Vegeta spoke. "You know, you really should knock if you know I'm with the council."

Queen Frutia gave her husband a hurt, simpering look, one that he didn't trust in the least. Any form of innocence on _her _face was a dead give-away of her guilt. "What makes you think I knew the council was robbing my husband of my bed tonight?"

"That would be _my _bed, Frutia."

"Oh, you really think so?" That was her dangerous question. Her voice may not bare a hint of animosity in it, but as soon as those words left her lips, you'd better be on your toes. King Vegeta was well aware of this. So, naturally, he took the bait.

"Yes, I do," his own tail released its hold on his waist and uncurled on the seat next to his wife's. He languidly leaned his chin on the fist resting on the opposite arm from her, watching her from the corner of his eyes.

Frutia smiled and began to purr as she slipped from her roost on his throne to kneel before him, her hands on his knees. Her hum deepened when his lips quirked and he lifted a brow in lazy interest. Frutia lowered her throat to the top of his leg, the vibrations running up his thigh and meeting halfway with the sensation building at the base of his spine (as her tail expertly tickled the fine hairs of his own) to pool in his lap. A bass growl started low in his own chest.

Her hands slid a few inches higher up his legs, and she smirked as his pupils dilated in not-so-lazy interest. She leaned in closer to him and he leaned down a fraction- and looked up to find her all the way on the other side of the long room, the door open as she prepared to leave. "I will see you in the morning, _mehg aida._" My love. She swayed her hips alluringly and slammed the door behind her. King Vegeta chuckled to himself and looked down at his lap.

"You truly disgust me."

King Vegeta shifted his head, not lifting it from his fist to look over his shoulder into the shadows behind his throne. "And how's that, Vegeta?"

His son lounged up against the door he entered silently from, all his weight on the frame and one foot, his steel arms folded over his white-armored chest. Vegeta looked an exact replica of his father (without the facial hair and necklace), but he had adopted certain stances and attributes from his mother, the casually arrogant pose he effected now being one of them. He used his shoulder to roughly shove himself off the wall and he traipsed insolently in front of his father, the king.

"The way you and your woman behave, showing affection publicly like a pair of pubescent teenagers," he scowled distastefully.

King Vegeta chortled good-naturedly. _Very_ few people had seen this side of the cold mogul, his family making up two of the four, total. His heir's scowl deepened. "Vegeta," he said leaning back contentedly in his throne. "I hope that one day you will know what it is like to have someone who will always have the knack of turning you back into that hormonally driven youth. Besides," he smirked mischievously and Vegeta (Jr.)'s face flushed as he realized where his father was going with this. "it wasn't so long ago that _you_ were the horny minor you speak so lowly of. You _are _only seventeen after all and had only _just _gotten over your little episodes."

He reveled in his son's discomfort (Vegeta's face was red and he sneered at a spot just above and to the right of King Vegeta's head), for his son was in constant need of these little humblers. "Yes but you and Mother should know better," he snapped at his progenitor.

"You obviously haven't seen the side of your mother that I know and _love_," he grinned suggestively at his thoroughly disgusted (and sputtering) child. "And a good thing, too, 'cause I don't like to share."

Vegeta growled murderously and looked up (a bit flustered) at his father, who raised his hands in amusement when his ki began to rise and electricity crackled across his skin. "Alright, son, I'm done," he said abjectly but fixed his son with a serious stare. "But on a serious note, I hope you really do find someone you can tolerate spending the rest of your life with."

Vegeta gave an unprincely snort. "Have you forgotten already, Father?" He sneered bitterly. "You've already found someone for me. Do you really think I'll be able to tolerate living with Strabari?"

King Vegeta blinked. 'That's right,' he growled to himself. 'He's promised to _her _if he doesn't find someone on his own.' "You know you could always get out of that if you found someone yourself, Vegeta." Even the king wasn't too eager to have that woman join his family.

"Feh. Like it matters to me anyway," Vegeta said turning to leave. "In my opinion, women are only good for making armor, cooking, and producing heirs."

An impish glint entered the king's eyes again at this. "Do you really think so?"

Vegeta paused at the applied use of his mother's favorite deadly phrase, knowing instinctively that when he heard that, he'd better brace himself for a sore bottom.

"Because if that's so, then Frutia must be a one-trick pony!"

* * *

A servant passing the throne room in the halls was suddenly shell-shocked by a sudden, loud "FATHER!!!" and an even louder blast coming from inside the two massive doors. The terrified slave leapt against the opposite wall as a furiously flustered Prince Vegeta stomped out of the out-thrown doubled doors, and caught a glimpse of King Vegeta, roaring with laughter and clutching his stomach next to the smoldering remains of his throne.

* * *

Vamirii: I went through this chapter in less than two days! It was orrigionally supposed to be longer, but I decided to split that one into two parts, and make the next one a separate chapter. I didn't want it to be too long. So yay!!! Vegeta-kun made his entrance to da story!

Announcer: It's about damn time!

Vamirii: Watch your mouth! Review pleez?


	5. Chapter 5

Vamirii: Hello lovelies! I now have 13 reviews and I love every one of them! I do thank all my reviewers, but some I must mention for their awsomeness.

Special thanks to: private (hey! I didn't think I'd be hearing from you again! Thanks for the review!); Rraz45 (A VERY special big thanks to you for your 3 treasured reviews ;)); Nikkie23534 (for your comment on the queen; you saw exactly what I was trying to portray)

Keep reviewing! Enjoy. ^^v

* * *

Bulma was jerked from her second peaceful sleep in weeks by the sound of the door being thrown against the wall. She shot up out of bed her eyes popping open instinctively and snapped shut in protest as they were blasted with florescent-bright light. She tried to bury her face in the pillow and ensconce herself under the warm blankets, but her assailant seemed to have read her mind. Both the pillows and the blankets were ripped away to reveal Chichi's deer-in-the-headlights look and tousled head.

"I told you to rest as much as possible last night, didn't I?" a harsh, blaring voice cut through their lethargic daze. "But no, you just had to stay up and talk, didn't you?"

Bulma eyes cut painfully through the glare of the light that seemed to ebb magically from the ceiling to stare incredulously at Queen Frutia's snide leer. It only felt like she had been asleep for two minutes before this abrupt wake-up call. Somewhere in the heavy murk exhaustion accumulated in the brain, Bulma lost her common sense and groused, "Yeah, for, like, two minutes! What time is it? The sun isn't even up yet!" Chichi elbowed her in the ribs.

The queen's eyes narrowed and her voice became cool and malignant. "It's four, forty-five, and I let you sleep in fifteen minutes. Won't do that again, though." Before Bulma could screech properly, Chichi asked meekly what time they had gone to sleep the night before. "About one, thirty-five. You two stink. Get a quick shower and meet me in my kitchens. We will be leaving in ten minutes, so don't dally!" And with that last barked command, Frutia exited, leaving the girls to scramble for the shower. Chichi leaped over her bunkmate and got to the bathroom first, so Bulma stripped in the bedroom and fidgeted impatiently for her turn.

Both girls only had time to snap up one of the small blue pills (they tasted like minty fruit) and quickly rinse their hair out. They leapt back into their clothes (wondering if they were going to be forced to wear them until they earn a promotion) and stumbled together out of their cubby.

"She said meet her in the kitchen. Where's that?" Chichi said, head and damp hair whipping around as she adjusted her dress. And then the smell hit them. It was almost indescribable sense they'd only eaten space-tube food and small frozen meals on the trip to Planet Vegeta. They followed their noses to another almost invisible door on the other side of the bed that was left slightly ajar. Bulma pushed it open and entered first.

The king and queen's personal kitchens were about the size of their bedroom, but instead of dark, it was bright, just like the servant's quarters. Many machines they couldn't recognize lined he walls, but Bulma could immediately guess which one was the refrigerator: the giant, silver-sided, multiple compartment box that covered the entire length of the back wall, floor to ceiling, wall to wall. It looked like an enormous checkerboard, stood on one side, and she was absolutely positive that each locker was filled to the brim with food. She was so certain of this because if what she'd seen of Nappa and Raditz on the ship was anything to go by, then these Saiyans could eat an entire warehouse of food and then ask for dessert.

These thoughts preoccupied Bulma's mind for a grand total of 0.062 seconds, for in the center of the room, cooked and prepared to heavenly perfection, was FOOD. Foreign and unrecognizable, but _real_ food; not the cardboard and toothpaste the captives had been forced to consume on the ship. Her stomach growled and her mouth watered and she remembered she hadn't eaten anything sense the Saiyans last fed her two days ago. She heard Chichi's stomach remember as well behind her.

"Don't just stand there gawking! Are you hungry or not?"

It was then that they realized that there was more in the kitchen than the foreign delicacies. Queen Frutia stood next to the table with a small cup of something in her hand, and next to her was a large, masculine, square-jawed woman. Neither Bulma nor Chichi spared her a second thought, though, for the queen's invitation of food was dangling tantalizingly right in front of their noses. They made a beeline for the table but were stopped abruptly when they winded themselves on Queen Frutia's solid arms. She had phased in front of them and had created a very effective wall by simply raising her arms to where they were level with her maids' stomachs.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked incredulously. "That food isn't for you! It's for King Vegeta when he comes in from work." (Bulma squawked and Chichi's eyes filled with envious tears.) "Besides, you can't eat all this and expect to be able to train well."

She lowered her arms and turned to the table, leaving Bulma and Chichi to rub their throbbing stomachs. 'Jeez! It felt like I just got pounded with a jackhammer!' Chichi groaned inwardly. 'And her arms didn't shift a bit!' Frutia turned back around and handed each girl a small white cup identical to her own. The contents looked like black coffee, but smelled like milk.

"Pay attention, you two," Frutia commanded, drawing their attention from their beverage. "This stuff is extremely potent, even for Saiyans, so I'm not exactly sure how it will effect you. Until I know, only take a _tiny _amount. For us, this little cup is all we need, so if our scientists are correct in their calculations of your human bodies, a thimbleful should be about right."

"Well," Bulma asked uncertainly. "What is it?" Frutia narrowed her angled eyes. "Uh, Ma'am?"

"It's called muq, and it's used in the army for replacing meals when necessary. Muq is a lot easier to store and carry, and is in great abundance, making it ideal for feeding soldiers during times of war. It gives a huge boost of energy, but it doesn't have everything the body needs so you can't replace your entire diet with it."

"So it's basically the Saiyan form of coffee? It's coffee on steroids," Bulma inquired without thinking. Frutia frowned, not knowing what coffee was. Bulma shook her head dismissively.

"Anyway, as I said, a very small amount." Frutia downed her own glass of muq and watched them closely.

Chichi and Bulma exchanged an apprehensive glance and gingerly sampled the liquid. Bulma was surprised to find that it was icy cold and tasted very similar to milk. She took the tiniest of sips… Suddenly it felt as if her stomach was burning and she dropped her glass with a gasp. Somewhere in the back of her mind, her brain had registered Chichi slump forward and clutch the heavy table. As suddenly as it came, the feeling of her stomach digesting itself seeped away and a comfortable warming sensation began ebbing throughout her entire body.

It felt like she was on ecstasy, with every sense magnified tenfold. She could almost feel every individual fiber in her whore's outfit against her hyped skin and could see each strand of hair on Frutia's analytically watchful head. The wonderful smells of the food were almost overpowering now, but she felt no desire to eat. Everything looked, and smelled, and sounded, and felt so _good!_

Bulma felt the need to explore and began flitting around the room aimlessly just experiencing things. She noticed with indifference that she was twitching. As she looked down to watch herself spaz, a bubble of laughter slowly rising up her throat, she collided with something hard and warm and stumbled back. Looking up, she found Chichi with a shocked expression blinking back at her. They both burst out laughing.

The queen and other woman watched with a huge sweat-drop as the two hysterically laughing girls embraced and began playing with each other's hair as if they'd never seen it before. "Okay, no more straight muq for those two."

"My Queen," the other woman barked in a harsh, naturally demanding sounding voice. If either Earthling had been… uh, normal, they would have thought that her accent was very close to that of Russian back on Earth. "You don't honestly expect me to train _those _flem-wads do you? You were joking, right?" Frutia looked at her. "Your Highness!" She gasped in horror. "You can't be serious! Look at them!" (They had moved back to the table, now crouching on the floor rubbing the wooden legs in wonder at the texture.) "I am an artist! _These _two are _stained canvases!" _

The queen crossed her arms and stared imperiously down at her. "Then I guess you'll just have to use a lot of white paint, Lamon."

Lamon's eyes bugged. "Basics?! I haven't taught anybody no basics since I was an apprentice!"

"You will do what you were told," Frutia growled, the air around her beginning to crackle. "Or you will quickly find yourself lacking a job and a life. Am I clear?" Lamon stared and backed away. It took her three tries to force out a mumbled something that resembled a "yes". Frutia accepted it and refocused on the girls, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

* * *

Just over ten minutes later found Frutia and her three subjects striding briskly down the halls. Frutia was in a terrible mood as they were late for her girls first day of training, Lamon (besides shooting occasional glares at the two humans behind her) kept her head down and eyes on the floor. Bulma and Chichi were practically jogging to keep up with the long-legged steps of the Saiyans.

Both girls were now functioning almost normally, although they still had a bad case of the jitters. It had taken a lot of water on top of the muq to calm the heat in their stomach and make them almost capable of standing still. Frutia had venomously hissed that they were not, under any circumstances, to drink straight muq, and then (after a quick detour to the bathroom for the humans) had hauled them out the door to get them to the public training room.

"Just- what kind of- training- do you- think they'll- have us- do?" Bulma whispered to Chichi between pants. It felt like they'd been trotting for ages since they had been cooped up in that tiny space on the ship. The little muscle Bulma had had before then was jelly now.

"Sense it's our first day- I don't think it will- be anything too hard," she breathed back. Chichi was in much better shape than Bulma. Her father had trained her back on Earth. She had been a real fraidy cat until the Saiyans came, which is kind of backwards. Even she wasn't really sure what had happened, but when she a woken up on the ship, she hadn't been afraid anymore.

Up ahead of them, Queen Frutia stopped abruptly. Lamon stopped just behind her easily, but Bulma stumbled trying not to run into her back. Frutia turned around, her foul mood evaporated and a smile replaced the scowl on her lips. "Hello, Prince Vegeta."

Bulma blinked and made to look behind her but as she did, a short black haired man was already moving between her and Chichi. Bulma was still suffering under the effects of the muq and the fidgets hadn't left her yet (plus, the murderous glare on this guy's face wasn't helping her nerves, either). She leapt away and her flying hand wasn't quite fast enough to quell her high-pitched squeal of startled fright, but it did muffle what was left of it. Her hand clutched her chest over her erratically beating heart.

The short man glanced back at her over his knee-length caped shoulder; although it was so quick, Bulma thought she had just imagined it. He strutted past Lamon who had dropped to her knees respectfully. Bulma's perceptive observation noticed (when her heart had slowed enough for her to think clearly) that the way he walked (the slight swing of the arms, the almost tangible cavalier, I-could-blast-you-if-I-wanted-to-but-you-aren't-worth-the-effort flounce) was almost identical to Queen Frutia's sashay. 'Prince Vegeta, huh?' She thought lowering her hands and scrambling to crouch on the floor with Chichi and Lamon. 'Well he is most definatly Queen Frutia's son.' She jumped at the rough sound of his voice.

"Woman," he growled in return. His voice was gravely and sounded as if on the verge of yelling.

"How very nice of you to come visit your mother, my son," she almost purred at him. "I was going to go see you after I received my report from Nappa this morning." They started walking again (with the other three girls getting up and following), and she offered her child her arm. He (of course) gave her an angry blasé stare that acutely said, 'Don't be retarded.' Her sugary smile didn't alter, but a slight narrowing of her eyes communicated just as clearly, but in an even more influential, motherly tone, 'Take your own advice and hold your mother's arm NOW.' Almost grumbling to himself (that would have been even more self-demeaning), Vegeta latched arms with his mother as inconspicuously as he could with a caliginous glower. Not that anyone would dare laugh if they saw. First, Frutia would be on them, making them regret their slip, and then, Vegeta would have his way with whatever was left of them, making them wish their father had never met their mother.

When their little exchange was over, Vegeta looked back over his shoulder at the two human's specifically at the blue-haired one that squealed like the pig she is. "So," he barked harshly. "Is father starting to bore you?" he scoffed gesturing to the blue one's apparel.

Bulma felt the familiar heat of fury pulse up from her stomach and before she thought it through, she opened her mouth to snap back. Luckily for her, Chichi saw it coming and jabbed her in the ribs for a second time that morning with her sharp elbow. Rubbing her sore side Bulma turned and glared at her (getting nothing but a stern look in return) and grimaced at Vegeta's back.

"Bulma," the queen said casually without turning around or slowing her gate. "If you look at the prince like that again, I will pop those pretty blue eyes of yours out of your face."

Bulma gawked ('How the hell had she seen that?!') and lowered her face murmuring "Yes, Queen Frutia." She winced at Vegeta's contemptuous snort.

"And to answer your question, Vegeta, not hardly!" Frutia said playfully.

"Grrr! That was rhetoric!"

"They are remarkably Saiyanoid, aren't they?" Frutia said looking at Chichi. "Very weak, though. I'm taking these two to the training room to build their bodies up so they won't have to depend on those ki collars. Would you like to go watch? I haven't seen you in a while, and you can tell me how your own training has been going."

He grunted. "You women and your gossiping," he said haughtily. "You're all the same no matter what planet you are from. Why in the world would I want to go watch a couple of weak humans train so they can walk around?"

Chichi blinked in surprise when Frutia actually 'hmph-ed.' "Because if you don't, I'll tell Qwosh where you are." Chichi's jaw almost dropped. 'Black mail?!'

"You're despicable!" Vegeta snarled, but Frutia smiled, for she had won.

* * *

Vamirii: Ai-yahhh. I think I did terribly at this chapter. Did I make Vegeta OOC? I think I did... grrz i hate that. So, yeah, the muq thing was something I came up with spur of the moment (poor humans haven't eaten for over two days! Goku would have had an apoplexy) an the idea is dumb, but that is what they will have for breakfast for a while. I promise I'll try t make the next one better!!! please review dis chapter, but be nice, por favor.

Announcer: So, now we know what those nifty balls of edible toothpaste taste like, but how will our heroines fair in their first day of training? Will Vamirii write a better chapter next time? Will she even write a chapter next time? And what is Vegeta's parents' fascention with making suggestive and unnerving funnies around their son? Will he _ever _get over it?! find out next ime on Dragon Ball BV!!!


	6. Chapter 6

Vamirii: Hey peeps! 'Tis me again. Rraz45 gave me some very good advice which I hope I followed sufficiently. I like this chapter much better than last one, so maybe you'll enjoy it more, too. ^^

Hey, this is a little random, but... I've got a guinea pig (Panda!) who's kinda skittish. He doesn'tlike it when I pick him up, but when he's in my arms, he's completly fine, and he'll cuddle with me. I don't think I am, but I'm a little worried I might be picking him up wrong. Whatdya think???

Thanks: Rraz45, alysia16 (and _all _my reviewers!)

* * *

Kakarot whipped his head towards the front of the training room when he heard the door whoosh open. He was positively _dying _of boredom and in need of some form of entertainment. He hoped whatever was coming into the gym would stay his suffering. He easily, almost exasperatedly (and without even bothering to look), knocked Raditz's attack away with a casual backward swipe of his hand as his brother tried to take advantage of his eager distraction. It was the only sensible move he'd made during their entire sparring match.

Raditz growled angrily at his brother. _What an ass! How dare he treat _me_, his older brother, this way! Just because he's stronger…! _He clenched his fists tighter as he glared at his sibling through a black eye. Naturally, Kakarot didn't have a scratch on him. This infuriated him even more, but as he prepared to strike, his kin abruptly raised his tail, signaling he stop.

Kakarot bent forward from the waist as Vegeta and Frutia entered the room. His ears pricked slightly at the sound of Raditz kneeling behind him. _Yes! Vegeta! I thought I was going to fall asleep training with Raditz! _He straightened and grinned at the prince from across the room as three other women entered behind him and his mother.

His surreptitiously observant warrior's eyes quickly scanned over and dismissed Lamon and a small Saiyan girl around his age (which was fifteen), but did a double take over the blue-haired Saiyan. _Oh, that must be one of the new human-things. _He thought looking over his shoulder at the far corner where a low-class trainer was attempting to teach a group of human males. With that in mind, Kakarot studied the other girl a little closer and realized that she was missing the characteristic Saiyan tail. The information was stored away and quickly buried under the renewed excitement of the prospect of sparring with his friend.

Kakarot made to step towards the group when he noticed the significant look on Frutia's face. It was a maternal warning if he ever did see one, and it was telling him to back up. Kakarot had known both the prince and his parents since he was nine years old. He had been discovered to have extraordinary talent for his age and was enlisted as a second class purger at the age of _eight_, even though he was born third class. From there, he had grown stronger and attracted the attention of the prince (eleven at the time) who was joining his father on a random recruit inspection. The two had started out mock sparring, but the fight had grown in intensity, along with Vegeta's amazement. They had been friends ever since, although (of course) not even a stampede of crazy fangirls could drag that proclamation from the impudent young ruler (…ok they might be able to make him tell; we're crazy! ^^).

Kakarot also didn't miss the volume-speaking look on his friend's face. Vegeta gave him a meaningful glare, which he broke with a quick, sharp flick of the eyes towards the queen, and fixed his gaze back on him. Kakarot knew what that meant: "get me the hell away from her." If he hadn't have known Queen Frutia, he might have obliged him. But Kakarot _did _know her (better, in fact than his _own _mother, whom he rarely if ever saw), and she, him, almost as intimately as Vegeta. After all, however indifferent or permanently exasperated Vegeta seemed with him, both she and Kakarot knew just how close the two had become since they had met. Hell, she ha practically raised him as her own child for these past few years! He had _certainly_ gotten his share of spankings from her after all the mischief he and the prince had gotten into…

Kakarot smiled wider and nodded at Vegeta. He looked towards Frutia and lifted his hand. She smiled back but watched him distrustfully for any signs of scheming up ways to separate her from her brat. He then shifted his gaze back to Vegeta and gave him a big goofy grin, feigning having done what the prince had told him.

Vegeta scowled at Kakarot's stupidity and crossed his arms tight across his chest. If any mother (Saiyan or not) had seen that stance, they would immediately put it to a child sulking over not getting sweets. But, he is the Prince of All Saiyans, and the prince does _not_ sulk.

Kakarot let the shit-eating grin drop a bit. He was actually much more intelligent than he let others believe. He only let it show openly while in battle (he was not only strong, but also a strategic genius) and _no one _lived long enough to learn from their deadly mistake of thinking him a moron. He knew that it probably wasn't right to keep that from Vegeta, but judging by the prince's murderous expression, he thought it best not to enlighten him any time soon.

* * *

Chichi looked around the capacious gym room in awe. The ceiling had to be 1000 feet above her head and each wall longer still than that! Other Saiyans were at training stations everywhere she looked, although they had paused to show their respect to the royalty. In the center was a large fighting platform and behind it were four smaller training/sparring platforms. The two that were farthest back were being occupied, one by two identical, large-boned women, the other, by Raditz (her stomach clenched in hatred) and a young boy. The one with Raditz held her attention for a moment, for he was the only one in the room (besides her group) who was not kneeling. She had seen him bow, but was a little surprised that he was allowed the small liberty.

For some reason, she watched him a little longer and felt her eyes bug when he raised a hand to Queen Frutia and received an almost warm but openly wary smile. It was like watching a fond aunt greeting a particularly prankish nephew as he stepped from the schoolhouse. She blinked unbelievingly when he beamed gleefully at the prince (who looked incredulous himself), his furry tail swaying behind his blue spandex-clad legs (his breastplate was white and yellow) like a happy pendulum. This somehow struck her as funny, and she barely pushed down the cloud of laughter in her lungs. _Must be the muq._

"As you were!" the prince commanded a bit harsher than was necessary. He then whirled on Frutia. "Well? Let's get this over with! I have better things to do than hang around and listen to you jabber on all day!"

"Like studying with Qwosh?" Frutia raised an eyebrow, but looked innocently at Vegeta. He didn't say anything, but his face told enough. She nodded and said, "Lamon, you may begin."

The queen and the prince stepped to a row of benches placed against one wall to sit. Lamon approached and studied them with a dark musing glare, her fists on her hips. The image made Chichi think of one of her old tutors, Ms. Priss. "Alright," she barked with a distasteful sneer after her perusal of their physic. "We'll start today with something a child could do." Another sneer and a thoughtful pause during which she jutted out her massive chin (the girls now noticed she looked sort of like Nappa with hair). "A ten lap warm up should be easy enough. You have ten minutes. Starting-"

"_What_?!" Bulma screeched loudly, making several heads (including the boy's and Raditz's who had gone back to sparring) and Lamon's mouth open and close like a fish. "Ten laps for a _warm up?! _Have you lost your mind?! And you want us to run that in ten minutes? Look how huge this room is! It would take ten minutes to do _one _lap!"

Chichi pursed her lips. _God, Bulma, shut up! You're going to get yourself killed! _Lamon stared almost comically at Bulma's hand-on-hip, classical defiant-teenager pose. Then she just turned and walked away. Chichi blinked and saw she was headed towards the benches and the queen. She gave her a quick bow (probably for interrupting her quality-time with her son) and began to speak animatedly. Chichi couldn't hear what either was saying, but the gestures explained sufficiently. The queen looked over at Bulma, blinking in surprise (Prince Vegeta in disgust), and turned back to say something in return. Whatever it was didn't make Lamon happy; she gave another stiff bow at the queen's dismissive wave and stomped back over.

"Five lap, no time limit," Lamon gritted out between her grinding teeth. "Now!"

Chichi and Bulma scrambled away from her and began to jog along the wall. "Bulma!" Chichi griped as they ran. "You have to learn not to talk to them like that!"

"And why not?" she snapped back. "I used to be just as powerful as that great ox!"

"'Used to be' being the operative phrase! I don't think these people would hesitate to kill you-"

"Look whose talking, what with you giving all of them those regal, I'm-better-than-you- and-I'm-just-letting-you-think-otherwise looks!"

The argument continued until Bulma ran out of breath. By that time, almost every person in the gym, Saiyan or other, was staring at them and they had reached the back wall behind the four sparring platforms. Chichi looked over at Raditz and the kid with him. Their faces looked alike (although their hair was drastically different). Curiously, she felt another giddy giggle try to surface.

* * *

Bulma wheezed along beside Chichi, her face red. _Jeez! How big do you need a training room to be!? _She was somehow able to notice a ghost of a smile on her friend's face as she looked at Raditz having a hard time with a kid _their _age. She would have given her hell for chastising _her_ when _she _was the one openly _laughing _at a warrior if her burning lungs could have spared the air.

Bulma decided to watch the pair as well, finding it interesting that Raditz's opponent was so young. The kid was a little younger than her maybe, had a handsome face, and wild spiky hair that had probably never encountered a brush before. Her eyes roved over his armor for a moment and down his flickering tail. Seeing that ass, Raditz's face contorted in fury as he lurched around trying to land a punch _was _funny.

Bulma looked ahead and noticed that in the corner they were approaching was a group of men. Human men. _They're training, too. _As they grew closer, Bulma unconsciously lengthened her stride so she appeared graceful, and tried harder to control her breathing. For some reason, as they trotted past the other humans, she wiggled a little for their benefit. She was pleased to see (she had looked surreptitiously for a reaction) that she had caught the attention of some. She was even more delighted to find that one who had noticed her was well built and rather cute, even if his black hair was almost to his mid-back. He had stopped in the middle of his exercise to laugh nervously and wave timidly as she passed (of course his trainer wasn't happy though). _Maybe I can see him again, and he can be my boyfriend!_ She thought excitedly as she smiled apologetically over her shoulder at him.

"What was all that?"

"What?" Bulma tried to sound innocent. It didn't fool Chichi. "Oh, that? That was nothing!"

"Uh-huh."

They finished the lap in silence. As they were about to start the next one, however, and angry Lamon stopped them. "You-!" she jabbed her finger at Chichi. "I know you can run faster than this one. No more running together! I won't have anyone depending on another!"

Bulma forgot all about their little quarrel, and from the slight unease on Chichi's face, apparently so had she. Neither of them wanted to be by themselves, especially surrounded as they were by all the super-human, planet-purgers hanging around so casually. They reluctantly started another lap, chichi pulling ahead with a glance over her shoulder.

Chichi turned out to be _much _faster than Bulma. She had finished all five just as Bulma was ending her third. Lamon had had enough of waiting so she yelled at the gasping, blue-haired scientist (who was bent over, hands on her knees, and looking quite enticing in her sweaty 'uniform') for about a minute, until she finally snapped, "And don't slouch like that after running! You want to breathe, don't you?"

Bulma pushed herself up laboriously but the indignant expression on her face came as naturally as breathing (if slightly easier, at that particular moment). She didn't even know it was there until Lamon's face reddened and her fists clenched in restraint and Chichi shook her head in warning. "Yes, Lady Lamon," she said attempting to be meek and almost achieving it.

When Lamon was back in control of her temper, she continued. "Now that your dynamic stretches are over, you will move onto static stretches. First your neck." She demonstrated the proper way to roll the neck, and they copied her. Then onto the back, arms, and legs. The whole process took just under fifteen minutes and every muscle was warmed up and limber.

"You will start every day with these exercises, and in that order, understood?" After their nod, she looked up sharply and shouted across the room, "Sitris! Oran!" Bulma looked where she was shouting to see the pair of women on the platform next to Raditz's halt in the middle of a punch and stand stiffly facing Lamon, like two recruits facing a particularly nasty drill sergeant. "Come here!" The two phased immediately before her. They both looked remarkably like Lamon (which is to say they also looked like Nappa with spiky hair in an ugly cut above their ears). "Yes, Mother!" They said in unison.

With a satisfactory nod, Lamon turned from her ogre-like daughters and gave Bulma and Chichi a smile that sent shivers down their spines. "Now, your _real _training begins!"

* * *

Vamirii: Ha-HA!!! Enter Kakarot! Watcha think? It was gewd wasn't it? How was the getting into their heads, Rraz45? Was it better?


	7. Chapter 7

Vamirii: Omigosh, I am sooo sorry this took so long to update! Well, here is chapter 7 and its the longest (probably) that I've written so far. Just so you know, however, the next one is probably going to be a lot shorter because it was a scene that was supposed to be in this chapter, but I didn't want it to be too freaking long. So I hope you enjoy dis.

Please leave me a review? I love getting them and they help me improve the story for you, so do yourself a fav, and leave me a wurd.

* * *

Her entire body was wracked with pain. Muscles she didn't even know she had were screaming in protest with every fiber of their being. The only thing on her body that wasn't bruised was her eyebrows, and even those were hurting. Bulma groaned and guiltily leaned harder on Chichi as they limped into their tiny room. Bulma had never felt such gratitude as she did at that moment towards her dearest friend's kind charity, for she was positive that she must have been suffering as well. She was lowered gently to the bed, where she thanked her sincerely. "Thank you, Chichi."

Chichi slid to the floor in a ball of agony and Bulma felt another stab of guilt, even as she received a pained smile.

Bulma heard an impatient sound at the door and looked up to see Frutia leaning against the doorframe with a glower on her face as she regarded them. "You did poorly today," she growled at two masses of tortured muscle and bruises. "I won't have a pair of sentimental weaklings hanging around me and running my errands! It's a nuisance and a disgrace!"

"Ex-cuse me!" the blue-haired prodigy/moron snapped back. "But us humans aren't exactly built to be punching bags, you know! I'm a scientist, not a muscle-bound, brainless sac of meat for tenderizing like those three horses out there!"

Queen Frutia smirked a little at her insult and casually drawled, "I know of your status, Bulma Briefs."

Bulma felt herself blanch. _I never told her my last name!_ "How do you…?"

Thoroughly pleased with making her subordinate uncomfortable, Frutia smugly drew herself up. "Nappa and many other second-class soldiers may be ox-brained louts, but I make sure that all purgers bringing back specimens record detailed reports on the planet. Your family's name happened to come up a lot all over Earth." Bulma used her pause to exchange a glance with Chichi. "It seems you and your father were the most intelligent and advanced scientists on your planet, building all sorts of technologies, including these things referred to as capsules?"

Bulma nodded somewhat numbly and was quite startled by Queen Frutia's next words. "Perhaps, once you figure out the technology of this planet (which I'm sure you'll have no trouble with), you may be able to make something of yourself, hm?"

* * *

Chichi watched of this from the floor. Her left wrist was throbbing dully, now, but she suspected that it might be dislocated or have a buckle fracture. That was bad enough, but they have to go through that hellish torture again tomorrow and the next day, and for who knows how long! Sitris had certainly not gone easy on her today, despite their glaringly obvious difference in strength, and Chichi highly doubted that she would let up any on her next time. All in all, it had been a bad day.

* * *

_A meaty fist smashed into Chichi's face, sending her to the floor in a heap. She gasped in pain as her eyes clouded over and a harsh laugh hurt her ears. _

"_Vat a stoopid gurl you are!" Sitris mocked, crouching to sit on her heels and grab a handful of Chichi's long hair. __"How are you supposed to defend yourselv ven you look avay flom your opponent?"_

_Chichi gripped the beefy woman's thick wrist and tried to glare at her through her good eye. _That _bitch_! How _dare_ she! _"You threw a floor tile at me! I can't dodge and watch you at the same time!"_

_That braying laugh made Chichi's stomach churn with hatred and she found herself digging her nails into Sitris's arm. She was almost surprised that this great _sow _bothered to even notice. She wasn't surprised, however to find herself flying through the air to land on the other side of the arena. Her wrist exploded in pain and she cried out._

* * *

Chichi suppressed a growl at the memory of that morning. The rest of the day had continued on in that fashion, and (probably) so would the rest of their mornings for a while. Poor Bulma had it much worse. Chichi had at least some knowledge of combat skills although it was no where near these warrior races'. Bulma, though, was completely unprepared. Being the rich girl Chichi had heard so much about back on Earth, she had had no need for such training as long as she kept the inventions coming, and martial arts didn't seem like the sort of hobby a spoiled girl like her would be interested in.

"Well, girls. I don't think you've really earned it, but I suppose you must nourish yourselves." Frutia addressed both of them with a naturally smug confidence that only royalty and egotistical idiots (or both) could pull off. "Go bathe and I will show you how to get to the servants kitchens from here." With that, she was gone with the swirl of her cape.

The idea of a meal gave Chichi enough strength to pull herself up off the floor. Their lunch had been… interesting, but surprisingly delicious! She was eager for more. She turned to help Bulma up and into the bathroom and was a little surprised to find her trembling legs already hanging off the edge of the bed. Feeling a swell of admiration at her perseverance, Chichi gently slung Bulma's arm over her shoulder and limped into the bathroom where they helped strip each other and fill up the foldable bathtub.

Once the room was steamy and the tub was filled, Chichi turned to Bulma and wrapped an arm around her back under her arms. "Ready?" she whispered. Bulma braced herself, her battered muscles tensing under Chichi's fingers, and she gave a curt nod. "One, two, three!" Bulma pushed against the ground weakly with her legs while Chichi's hands dug into her ribs under her breast as she hauled her up the rest of the way despite her body's vehement protests.

Bulma splashed nearly headfirst into the tub, making some of the water slop out onto the floor. Chichi released the gathered air in her lungs with a whoosh and she gripped the edge of the tub waiting for the pain to subside.

"Chichi!"

Her head jerked up and her eyes bugged out when she saw Bulma standing up in the water all by herself. "Bulma!" She stood, dripping back into the water with her arms stretched out in front of her where she could see them. Her expression was one of wonder- no, pure disbelief- as she stared down at herself, probing her body with light, cautious fingers. "What is it?" Chichi's voice was high with concern and amazement.

"I- my body! It doesn't hurt anymore!" She took a half step forward and winced. "Well not nearly as much as it did- come on, I'll help you!" She finished her step, sloshing water around slightly in her rush, and with a grunt pulled Chichi up and into the bath by her arms.

Chichi entered her lower body first. As soon as her legs hit the water she let herself drop until her whole body up to just below her breasts were submerged. And she felt _immediate_ relief. It was so sudden she gasped and shot out her left hand to grip Bulma's leg and gasped again as her wrist jarred.

"Quick!" Bulma nearly shouted in alarm as she flopped down into the water, hugging her legs so they would both fit. "Put it under!"

Obeying as fast as she could, Chichi thrust her arm under the water. With a hiss, she felt something take place in her arm. It felt as if the bone was trying to mesh itself back together at a rapid rate. Come to think of it, everything under the water, under her _skin, _was writhing around and fixing itself. She stared incredulously as a small cut on her hand miraculously healed before her eyes. Chichi looked up at Bulma with wide eyes to find her friend fully submerged and blowing bubbles. And she laughed and followed suit.

By the time they finished their baths and had towels wrapped around their nearly pain-free bodies, both girls could not seem to stop giggling. Bulma felt like a child again and she opened the bathroom door with a strange sense of hope; that things would be better; that her life and Chichi's life was starting to take a turn for the better.

She opened the bathroom door and something on the bed caught her eye. "Chichi! Clothes!"

Her friend let out a small cry of joy and they both leapt for the two small, neatly folded stacks on the bed. The article on top was what looked like a small, tight-fitting blood red dress that stopped mid-thigh and had thin tank-top straps instead of sleeves. Under that was a pair of black leggings and black, long-sleeved under armor. Then the last outfit appeared to be a pair of plain gray spandex shorts and a matching short-sleeved shirt. On the floor under the sets was a pair of black and gray close-fitting, soft-soled boots.

"The spandex is our "work-out" clothes, I guess." Chichi's voice was laced with scorn and Bulma nodded in agreement.

"Well, let's go get some supper!"

They dressed in record breaking time and Bulma went into the bathroom to look herself over before going out to meet the queen. She admired her reflection in the mirror/wall and turned her body this way and that to see as much of herself as she could. _Wow. Queen Frutia got us both dresses that fit us perfectly. _She vainly smoothed the front of her dress, her hand moving slowly across her stomach and she sighed. _The only thing wrong with this look is it seriously clashes with my hair… Other than that, I look great! These Saiyans don't have a bad sense of style at least. Heck, I might even have worn this back on-_

She brought that train of thought to a screeching, rubber-burning halt. Tears pricked her eyes as she thought of her once beautiful planet and her beloved mother. Inhaling raggedly, Bulma willed the tears away for another time. She didn't want red eyes and a runny nose when she went out in public. Gathering all her determination and resolve, she strode out to join Chichi and go get some food. Chichi didn't have the problem Bulma has with her hair. In fact she would have fit right in (concerning looks anyway) with this superhuman race except, of course, that she was missing a tail.

"All right," Bulma chirped. "you ready?" At Chichi's nod, they both stepped for the door and entered the king and queen's chambers.

Frutia was seated at the large desk, flipping through documents and tapping on a small, brightly-lit screen with strange markings across the front of it. _That must be the Saiyan language. I'll have to find one of the other slaves who could teach me to speak it… _Bulma thought watching the queen's fingers fly over the miniature computer. She and Chichi waited quietly in front of their door for the queen to finish.

They stood there for a minute, then two minutes. After five minutes of waiting, both of their stomachs complained rather loudly. At last Frutia turned from her work to look over the red-faced girls. "Well," she sighed resigned. "neither of you have enough muscle, but I suppose that you do shine up rather nice." She stood. "Are you still sore anywhere?"

"No, we feel great! That stuff really works, whatever it is." Bulma smiled brilliantly up at the woman, and even from across the capacious room she could see the quirked eyebrow and choleric expression. Chichi surreptitiously cleared her throat-"your highness." "Oh- Your Highness."

Frutia tsked and she leisurely strode towards them. The image of a fox stalking towards a pair of baby birds out of the nest came to Bulma's mind and she found that she was more terrified of this woman than all the purgers under her control together. "You definitely need some etiquette lessons," Frutia said stopping in front of them and crossing her arms. "Only Chichi has an idea of what's going on, and she only knows how to receive it!" A little subdued by the taller woman looming over them and feeling immense gratitude towards her for healing their bodily hurts, both girls bowed their heads respectfully and agreed wholeheartedly. "All right, then that's settled. I will show you the way to the servant's dining hall." Neither humans noticed her tiny smile.

Chichi watched Frutia glide towards the curtained windows and she made the first move to follow. _Damn,_ she thought with a surprised bitterness. _I can't believe this! How have _I _become so obedient in just one day! What _is _it about this woman? She'll have me licking her feet by the end of this week! _Despite these thoughts, Chichi made sure she was a respectable distance behind the queen. In fact, just as far as the servants _she'd_ had used to.

Frutia walked around a large cushioned chair that stood like a sentry in front of one of the curtained windows. Pulling the curtain aside, Frutia revealed not a window, but a small sliding door with a palm pad. "This leads directly to the dining hall. It is here so I will know when you leave your room to eat. It helps make sure our servants aren't causing trouble." She gave a tiny, malicious smile that was just daring _any_ fool to try to "cause trouble." "I'll show you the other pathways to get there once we get something in you."

Frutia put her hand on the pad and the door slid open silently. The tall queen ducked so she wouldn't hit her head on the low frame. Chichi let Bulma slip in after her, and then followed on her heels, closing the door from the inside as she went.

The hall was narrow and dimly lit with a yellow light, but the ceiling was higher and Frutia could walk without bending her neck. It curved slightly with the palace walls but there were no real turns or separate tunnels. It wasn't damp or musty smelling, but one would think that it should for some reason. It reminded Chichi of the wine cellars she used to play hide and seek in with her daddy. A short time later, they approached the end of the tunnel and Frutia opened the door.

The large, white-floored room was as busy as it was when Lamon and her daughters had escorted them down for lunch. Servants and slaves alike were bustling to and fro with trays of food, looking for a good spot to eat, and chattering or bickering with their fellows. At the head of the room was a huge serving line with fat, blue-skinned ladies, their feathers up in hairnets, hawking their food and bashing each other's cooking.

It took a moment for someone to notice Queen Frutia standing with her arms crossed and a stern look on her face. When she was noticed, however, the poor spotter (green-haired, red-skinned young man) gasped and nearly flung his tray onto the floor in his hurry to kneel. After that the entire room stopped and the people fell to their knees in a wave.

Chichi looked around and considered kneeling too, just so she wouldn't be one of the three people standing, but she hardened her nerve and gave Bulma's small frown a head shake.

Queen Frutia looked around, her eyes passing over the hunched figures on the floor and the blue cooks pressing their fists into the counter with their faces down instead of kneeling behind it where they couldn't be seen. After intimidating them enough, she called, "As you were." They rose slowly and moved silently to a line or to a table and kept their faces down.

"Go get some food. I'll save us a table," Frutia commanded and moved towards the nearest long table. The drudges sitting there promptly gathered their trays and hurried elsewhere. Chichi and Bulma made for the line and stood at the end. Chichi noticed a few of the servants give them surreptitious, bewildered glances, only visible for a second before they dropped their eyes again and those in the line shifted nervously.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Both girls turned around to find Frutia before them, fists on her hips like a stern mother. Chichi noticed Bulma shift her feet unconsciously under her stare but she said with every bit of fire she had in her, "What?"

"What are you waiting in line for?" Frutia barked, her voice loud enough to fill the room. Chichi felt her face redden in embarrassment. "Do you think I gave you those clothes for the hell of it? They show your status, which is much higher than these buffoons! You work directly for royalty, so you go straight to the front."

"But they were here first!" Bulma shot back. The crowd murmured in shock and Frutia's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. "It wouldn't be fair to them."

Frutia lashed her tail and the soft whispering ceased immediately. "Bulma," her voice was barely above a whisper and Chichi could see the blood drain from Bulma's face in less than a heartbeat. _Oh no… Oh, no oh, Bulma! _She couldn't stop the panicky thoughts from running through her head. She was absolutely terrified that she was going to have to witness the queen, her master for the rest of her life, murder her best friend. _Oh, God, she's going to kill her, __**she's going to kill her!**_

"Don't you _ever_ even think about contradicting me so blatantly to my face again." Frutia's voice was like ice, her eyes black coals from hell. Such contrast was scary. Bulma began to shake and then she finally nodded- but to all's astonishment, a fury to match the queen's lit in her eyes and showed a ghost of itself on her face, enough to not be mistaken for _anything_ else. But she dropped her head in submission and tried admirably to hide it.

Frutia's shock showed for only a moment but that was enough to somehow reassure Chichi that Bulma's life was out of danger. _Ohhh I'm going to fucking _kill _her when we get back!_

"I know it wouldn't be fair to those in line," Frutia said suddenly. "But the reason why you will go to the front is because you two will have very short deadlines to meet, and lots of work to do. You both will probably do more in two days than that hand servant will in five. Do you understand that?"

Bulma's head rose and replacing the defiance was surprise and a bit of shame. _That's right, be ashamed! You nearly gave me an apoplexy! You're dead, Bulma Briefs! _The relief still hadn't worn off of Chichi.

"Good. Now go get some food," Frutia snapped her temper firmly in place. The crowd had clustered around their small group from a distance. When Frutia turned around, they all scrambled back to their seats, giving her as much space as possible.

Bulma wouldn't meet Chichi's eyes. She walked, hesitant and humbled to the front of the line, her eyes glued firmly to the ground. "Bulma Briefs, how dare you scare me like that!" Chichi whispered furiously beside her. "I was sure she was going to kill you! I don't know why she didn't!" She hissed incredulously when they grabbed a tray.

"Well, I'll be sure to try harder to provoke her next time, then!" she whispered back, a little absently (and shakily for she must have realized just how close she'd come to meeting her demise), but with all the vehemence Chichi had had.

They bickered quietly, almost oblivious to the fact that the only one in the room not staring at them was Frutia, who was sitting befuddled at the table. She was instead staring at her hands angrily, for they had disobeyed her. _Why couldn't I kill her? I had killed many a stronger man for _much _less than her little stunt. And why did I feel I needed to explain myself to _her_? Because she felt it wasn't fair? …And that, under other circumstances, so would I? _She then looked up at the pair, Chichi now brandishing a rather threatening spoon at the blue-haired minx. _Bulma… _both _of them have a lot of heart-strength._

When the two turned towards her, Frutia quickly hardened her eroding angry expression. Their steps faltered a bit when they noticed her searing gaze directed at them, but they continued forward, sat opposite her, and waited for her to speak before touching their food. "Go on, eat!" she snapped and the small frenzy began. "Ugh, that's attractive"- Bulma blinked and wiped her mouth of green sauce- "Anyway-"

"Queen Frutia, my lady!"

All three women at the table looked to see an unobtrusive, ashen-faced woman on one knee staring bug-eyed up at the queen. "Yes, what is it?" Frutia's voice made her flinch back, and she spoke so lowly the two humans couldn't hear. A playful gleam entered the quicksilver monarch's eyes. She stood up, however, with all the composure and regality of her position, even as she hurriedly murmured, "The door over there goes to the gym, that one to the throne room (the main one), The council room- oh just find them from someone else!" She nearly rushed from the room, almost steam-rolling a few unlucky servants.

"What was that all about?" Chichi asked slurping a noodle hanging from the corner of her mouth up.

"Her husband summoned her to the throne room after throwing a tantrum and literally kicking everyone out. He told me it was urgent," the servant laughed nervously and skittered away, traumatized. Bulma blushed and glanced over to see Chichi red-faced, too.

They ate in silence for a moment. Complete silence. So quiet in fact, that Bulma looked up and started to find that a group of men and women in servant clothing had surrounded the table. They didn't look happy, either she observed, nudging Chichi in the side. The rest of the room was watching solemnly from where they stopped. After an awfully long moment of thick tension, Bulma realized that their mini-mob consisted of humans, only, and she felt considerably better. After all, they were the closest to her kin she had. They couldn't be too mad at her, although she didn't know why they looked so hostile to begin with.

"Uh, what's up?" she asked, only a slight quaver in her voice. The mass shifted a bit and the already dark cloud over them became a cumulonimbus. "What?" she shifted on her seat and felt Chichi press into her side some.

"What the FUCK do you think you're doing?" a deep masculine voice demanded. A scruffy-looking young man stepped out of the crowd and slammed his hand on the table making Chichi's glass fall over and spill rivulets of water onto the floor.

"Hey!" Bulma cried jumping up. "What the hell?"

"No!" He shouted back. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"I was eating and minding my own business, you jackass!"

"We mean the pair of you becoming the pets of those Saiyans and treating us like shit!"

"What?" Chichi stood bewildered and the crowed growled.

"What's with that damn display? That little show you put on for us?" spittle was beginning to fly from his lips in his anger and a supportive shout behind him added more fuel to the flames. "Getting all chummy with the Saiyan royalty? Skipping an entire line of your fellow people? Did you forget where you came from?"

Both women stared at his flushed face, speechless, their mouths hanging open and not knowing what to say. But his words stabbed their hearts and tore their souls. How _could _they forget their whole lives? Forget Earth, and their parents. Stinging tears flooded Bulma's eyes, and she didn't bother trying to stop them. She could use the extra concentration for coming up with new, exotic ways to give this guy a verbal flaying.. and a physical flaying, too. But before she could do so, a sob wrenched its way into the world and Bulma felt her knees buckle in grief.

Just before she fell forward and hit the table, a strong hand caught her waist and turned her just enough to hold her comfortably and firmly to a warm chest. The smell of a man's sweat assaulted her nose, but a lock of soft black hair tickled her cheek and feeling his arms around her made her feel safe. The tears stopped and she blinked in more-than-mild surprise. His chest started to vibrate and it took her a second to realize that was because he was talking.

"Whoa, that's a little harsh, don't you think, Carlos?" His voice was a burly tenor and Bulma got the impression that he was an outdoor rougher.

"What's harsh is these fucking whores forgetting all about their own race!" Carlos yelled back. "Playing hand maid or who knows what to these Saiyan fuckers!"

"Hey, shut up, man!" Bulma felt his pecs tighten under the thin shirt. "They have no more choice in the matter than you do, yet nobody here is trying to lynch you! The only reason you're pissed is because these guys get privileges!"

The group of humans shifted guilty and retreated a few steps. Carlos wasn't backing down, though. "What's that, Yamcha?"

Yamcha gently moved Bulma away and puffed out his chest. "You heard me. Leave these girls alone!"

With a snarl, Carlos threw a punch over the table. Yamcha was quicker; he grabbed his wrist and rapidly twisted it until the other man was sprawled on the table in an awkward position, one from which he couldn't move. "Oooh…" Bulma breathed appreciatively.

"You gonna calm down, man?" Yamcha asked almost nonchalantly as he twisted his arm just a bit further back.

"Arrgh! Yes!"

"Alright!" He released Carlos who scrambled off the table and adjusted his shirt, eyes glued to the floor and a scowl on his face. With as much dignity as he could muster, he spun on his heel and stalked away, shoving people in the crowd out of his way. The rest of the group dispersed looking chastised and chagrinned.

Yamcha turned towards the speechless pair and his whole, confident demeanor changed. He took a step back, as if he was surprised they were still there, and giggled nervously while sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "H-h-hey there! Uh, well, sorry about them! They- he- they just, heh, well they're a little grumpy…"

Chichi blinked at him. Bulma clasped her hands together and her friend flinched when her voice rose ten octaves. "Oh, thank you so much for your help!"

"Oh, heh, well, it was, um, nothing…" Yamcha blinked and started back when he looked up to see Bulma three inches from his face.

"It was more than nothing! I don't know what we would have done without you, Yamcha! My name is Bulma (oh, and that's Chichi). Say, are you single?"

"I-I guess I am!" His own voice rose with excitement and his face lit up with an alarming blush.

Just then Chichi jabbed Bulma in the side sharply. "Bulma, don't," she whispered furiously. "Don't get involved! When would you ever see him, except here? There would hardly be a point!"

"Oh, shush, you!" she jabbed back and Chichi lightly punched her arm, but let her go. "Do you, maybe, wanna eat with us tomorrow?" She asked the elated man shyly.

"Yeah, sure!" he nearly shouted, earning a few glowers from the people at nearer tables. "I'll see you tomorrow, then!"

* * *

"Honestly, Bulma, you are such a flirt." Chichi and Bulma meandered down the passageway towards their room, bellies full and a sluggish contentment draped over them like a cloak.

"What? I didn't have a boyfriend back on Earth, so why can't I have one here? After all, we'll be staying here for a while…" The mention of home dampened the mood a bit but Bulma continued. "Besides, you have to admit he's cute! If only his hair was shorter, though."

"I don't know, I like guys with a little hair," Chichi said with a small blush. She wasn't used to talking about boys and her preferences of them. Her dad had strictly forbade the talk of those "vile boys," and she never had any female friends. And not many male friends for that matter. "Of course, I don't like his hair to go down to his butt. I don't want to be able to braid it, but I want something there to play with."

"Oooh, I see," Bulma teased and Chichi's blush deepened. Bulma hadn't had much interaction with people her age, either. "You want to run your fingers through it, don't you? Well that's normal; I want the same thing, but I like hair a little on the short side." She fingered her own hair with a considering look and a small "hmm…"

Chichi glanced up and was almost surprised to find they were back to the king and queen's door. She put a finger to her lips to quiet Bulma and, as quietly as she could, opened the door. When she saw the coast was clear, she beckoned Bulma behind her and half-sprinted to their quarters.

Once in the safety of their small apartment, Bulma yawned loudly, stretching her arms above her head. "Full-belly-nap-time. I'm beat!" She flopped on the bed face first into the pillow.

"Yeah, well me too, so shove over." Without waiting for the shove, she flopped on top of Bulma.

"Grrr, you know, for a skinny person, you sure are fat!" she grumbled as she wiggled out and turned to face her.

The lights turned of by themselves, as if by magic, and they were left to stare into the darkness. Then the exhaustion kicked in. A fog descended on Bulma's brain and the last legible thought to cross her mind was, _Nothing, not even the king and queen's shouting together, is going to wake me up…_

* * *

Vamirii: .... What? She actually LIKES Yamcha in the begining. Well, she still likes him, but just as a friend in the end... Anywho, how was it? Worth the wait? ............ Didn't think so... *sigh* Oh, well. The next chapter may or may not *cough-WILL-cough* have *ahem* nudity in it. ... Well, MORE nudity than the bath scene.

Did you like that little bit about their hair preferences? Huh, huh? ;) A clever little bit of forshadowing, no? X3

Announcer: How will Bulma and Yamcha's first date turn out? Will Chichi survive the awkwardness of it all? Is Carlos a little insecure and will he try to make trouble for our heroines? Who will be naked in the next chapter? And WHY does Vamirii insist on saying the word BREAST?-

(Vamirii: Because it's politer than boob!)

-learn the answer to these question next time on Dragon Ball BV!


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